Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of regional variation in primary care estate in relation to their (a) condition and (b) capacity; and what steps is he taking to help improve this.

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

The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.

In May 2025, the Government announced the schemes which integrated care boards (ICBs) nominated as eligible to benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.

Building on this, the Government has committed £426 million of Utilisation and Modernisation funding over the next four years to continue upgrading the GP estate. This funding will also support refurbishing the existing estate to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres over this Parliament as part of the 10-Year Health Plan commitment.

Operational capital funding allocations have been confirmed for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, enabling multi-year planning for ICBs and in turn supporting the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for care.

The Government has also allocated £750 million per year for estates safety from 2026/27 to 2029/30, with planning certainty for a further five years, totalling £6.75 billion.

ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP 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 GPs, in each local area.

As part of inspection activity at GP surgeries, the Care Quality Commission will look at the quality of premises under Regulation 15, covering premises and equipment, although there is no overall rating for this aspect. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that the premises where care and treatment are delivered are clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained and, where required, appropriately located, and that the equipment that is used to deliver care and treatment is clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained, stored securely, and used properly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of regional variations in the quality of GP specialty training.

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

Post-graduate medicine general practice specialty trainees consistently report high levels of satisfaction with their overall educational experience, according to the results of the National Education and Training Survey (NETS), 2022 to 2024.

Alongside NETS reporting broadly consistent overall educational experience satisfaction rates across regions, this speciality programme has a low attrition rate nationally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 107846 on GP Practice lists, how many and what proportion of patients registered on 1 January 2026 were foreign nationals.

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

The Department does not hold data regarding the number and proportion of National Health Service general practice registrations that were for people not born in the United Kingdom.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of capacity of NHS primary care premises in Thurrock on the recruitment of GPs.

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

No assessment has been made by the Department of the potential impact of National Health Service primary care premises in Thurrock on the recruitment of general practice (GP) doctors. It is the responsibility of the NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) to ensure that the NHS estate in Thurrock is fit for purpose, in order to meet the needs of the local population. GP contractors are responsible for securing, managing, and maintaining suitable premises. The ICB has set up a new joint estates group with Thurrock Council to identify where void space can be used to enhance access to primary, community, and social care facilities.

The ICB has a range of schemes to improve recruitment and retention of GPs, including GP partnership courses, portfolio development scheme, and fellowships for newly qualified GPs. Thurrock has seen an increase in the number of GPs with at least 82 full time equivalent GPs now working in Thurrock, the highest number recorded since March 2016.

At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. This will deliver NHCs through a mixture of refurbishments to expand and improve sites over the next three years and new-build sites opening in the medium term. The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030 and will be delivered through public private partnerships and public capital. We are also providing £426 million over four years through the Utilisation and Modernisation Fund, upgrading GP estates, and supporting delivery of 40 to 50 NHCs this Parliament through refurbishment of existing buildings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the establishment of the Jean Bishop Centre in Hull in 2018, whether his Department has conducted a cost–benefit analysis of a more integrated model of service for elderly patients.

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

Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service, delivering truly integrated, proactive, and personalised care closer to where people live and work. There are substantial benefits to this more integrated approach to health and adult social care. Please see the 10-Year Health Plan Impact Assessment for further information, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-statement-10-year-health-plan-for-england

The Department is committed to this approach, recognising that an immediate priority for the National Health Service in developing Neighbourhood Health Services is to support individuals with complex needs, especially older people, those living with frailty, and those at the end of life. We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations, including services for elderly people.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that all Agenda for Change NHS pay bands are (a) set at and (b) above the real Living Wage as calculated by the Living Wage foundation.

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

These specific assessments have not been made.

Following acceptance of the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations on pay for 2026/27, Agenda for Change (AfC) entry pay will remain above the National Living Wage for 2026/27. In addition, we have committed to providing the NHS Staff Council with a funded mandate to reform the AfC pay structure. We expect these talks will begin shortly.

Individual organisations remain free to decide whether they wish to commit to being a Real Living Wage employer at a local level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has shared a definition of corridor care to (a) NHS trusts and (b) ICBs.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Stockton West constituency compared with the national average; and what steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through the introduction of a modern service framework for respiratory care.

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

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.

Data is available for emergency finished admission episodes where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. Data for Stockton West is shown in the table.

Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department of Health And Social Care Fingertips website. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority and integrated care board level. Information for Stockton on Tees is available at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of regional differences in the (a) availability, (b) accessibility and (c) resourcing of NHS Long COVID assessment and treatment services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are independently responsible for the commissioning of long COVID services which meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding. While this may result in regional and local variation of long COVID services, NHS England has published updated commissioning guidance for post-COVID services which sets out a blueprint for best practice in supporting people with long COVID and is designed to be adapted to local needs. The updated commissioning guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-commissioning-guidance-for-post-covid-services/

As of 1 April 2024, there were over 90 adult post-COVID services across England along with an additional ten children and young people’s hubs. Further information about these services is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/

In addition to the support provided in primary care, published data from April 2024 shows over 100,000 people have been seen by a specialist post-COVID service, with a further 350,000 follow up appointments taking place. The data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-post-covid-assessment-service/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish data on the numbers of patients receiving corridor care in NHS hospitals before the end of the financial year.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide funding for the primary care network estate in areas with low GP-to-patient ratios.

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

The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.

In May 2025, the Government announced the schemes which integrated care boards (ICBs) nominated as eligible to benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.

Building on this, the Government has committed £426 million of Utilisation and Modernisation funding over the next four years to continue upgrading the GP estate. This funding will also support refurbishing the existing estate to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres over this Parliament as part of the 10-Year Health Plan commitment.

Operational capital funding allocations have been confirmed for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, enabling multi-year planning for ICBs and in turn supporting the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for care.

The Government has also allocated £750 million per year for estates safety from 2026/27 to 2029/30, with planning certainty for a further five years, totalling £6.75 billion.

ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP 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 GPs, in each local area.

As part of inspection activity at GP surgeries, the Care Quality Commission will look at the quality of premises under Regulation 15, covering premises and equipment, although there is no overall rating for this aspect. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that the premises where care and treatment are delivered are clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained and, where required, appropriately located, and that the equipment that is used to deliver care and treatment is clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained, stored securely, and used properly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to help address the maintenance backlog in primary care estates.

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

The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.

In May 2025, the Government announced the schemes which integrated care boards (ICBs) nominated as eligible to benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.

Building on this, the Government has committed £426 million of Utilisation and Modernisation funding over the next four years to continue upgrading the GP estate. This funding will also support refurbishing the existing estate to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres over this Parliament as part of the 10-Year Health Plan commitment.

Operational capital funding allocations have been confirmed for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, enabling multi-year planning for ICBs and in turn supporting the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for care.

The Government has also allocated £750 million per year for estates safety from 2026/27 to 2029/30, with planning certainty for a further five years, totalling £6.75 billion.

ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP 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 GPs, in each local area.

As part of inspection activity at GP surgeries, the Care Quality Commission will look at the quality of premises under Regulation 15, covering premises and equipment, although there is no overall rating for this aspect. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that the premises where care and treatment are delivered are clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained and, where required, appropriately located, and that the equipment that is used to deliver care and treatment is clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained, stored securely, and used properly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when funding for Start for Life services will be confirmed for Sutton Council; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the absence of such funding on support for babies and new parents in Carshalton and Wallington constituency in 2025–26.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda on how we will improve the nation’s health by creating a new model of care that is fit for the future.

We recognise that local authorities such as Sutton Council are ambitious, seeking to deliver universal support to babies, children, and their families, and prevent escalating need. We are committed to delivering the 10-Year Health Plan’s ambition to match Healthy Babies, formerly Start for Life, to Best Start Family Hubs over the next decade.

Healthy Babies funding is helping families during the critical 1,001 days, and parents have said they are more confident in feeding their babies and have better perinatal mental health because of this support. We continue to assess how we can best support early-years service integration across the country and remain committed to working with delivery partners locally to achieve this.

Healthy Babies is one element of our broader commitment to supporting babies, children and families. From April 2026, Best Start Family Hubs will expand to every single local authority, including Sutton Council, backed by over £500 million to reach up to half a million more children and families. This funding will help all local authorities to integrate a range of statutory and non-statutory health and family services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of GP premises are rated as not fit for purpose or requiring significant investment.

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

The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.

In May 2025, the Government announced the schemes which integrated care boards (ICBs) nominated as eligible to benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.

Building on this, the Government has committed £426 million of Utilisation and Modernisation funding over the next four years to continue upgrading the GP estate. This funding will also support refurbishing the existing estate to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres over this Parliament as part of the 10-Year Health Plan commitment.

Operational capital funding allocations have been confirmed for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, enabling multi-year planning for ICBs and in turn supporting the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for care.

The Government has also allocated £750 million per year for estates safety from 2026/27 to 2029/30, with planning certainty for a further five years, totalling £6.75 billion.

ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP 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 GPs, in each local area.

As part of inspection activity at GP surgeries, the Care Quality Commission will look at the quality of premises under Regulation 15, covering premises and equipment, although there is no overall rating for this aspect. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that the premises where care and treatment are delivered are clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained and, where required, appropriately located, and that the equipment that is used to deliver care and treatment is clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained, stored securely, and used properly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the selection criteria was for the location of the 43 new neighbourhood hubs.

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

We have launched wave 1 of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) in 43 places across England, including Cornwall and the Isle of Scilly.

This is a large-scale change programme for all partners involved in delivering neighbourhood health, including the National Health Service, local government, social care providers, other statutory and non-statutory organisations and the voluntary sector. There is a strong focus on co-production and working with the people and communities they serve, and taking a ‘test, learn and grow’ approach in line with the wider public sector reform agenda.

We had an overwhelming response to the NNHIP, receiving 141 applications, which is approximately 83% of the number of places in England. Given the large volume of high-quality applications, selecting sites for wave 1 was not an easy task.

Selection was carried out in line with usual NHS England processes, with all applicants assessed against consistent criteria. This includes demonstrating strong integrated working, clear readiness to participate, robust governance and data sharing arrangements, and a focus on areas with the greatest need.

Work is underway to consider the future direction of the NNHIP, and we will share an update on this as soon as we can.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of families who will benefit from the financial support package to cover travel costs to and from cancer appointments in (a) Bedfordshire and (b) England.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families across the United Kingdom.

Through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is committing up to £10 million a year to a new fund open to all children and young people in England with cancer and their families regardless of income, to support them with the cost of travelling to and from treatment. This commitment sits alongside wider action to transform cancer care for children and young people.

The Department has not made a formal estimate of the number of families who will benefit from the financial support package to cover travel costs to and from treatment in Bedfordshire specifically. However, the Department’s work to-date estimates that approximately 3,100 young cancer patients will benefit across England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication of the National Cancer Plan, if he will present the Plan's annual summary of progress to the House.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

A reformed National Cancer Board, jointly chaired by the Department and an independent representative, will track progress and provide regular updates to ministers.

Across the life of the plan, ministers will publish an annual summary of progress, along with a more in-depth report after three years to assess where the plan may need updating and refreshing.

The annual summary will be available publicly and I will update the House when it is published.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations of the report by the Chief Medical Officer for England, The health of people in prison, on probation and in the secure NHS estate in England, published on 6 November 2025.

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

The Department welcomed the Chief Medical Officer’s report and is working across NHS England, HM Prison and Probation Service, and other Government departments on the implementation of its recommendations and the co-production of an action and implementation plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that clinical academic posts are available in all regions of the UK.

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

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, is the United Kingdom’s largest funder of clinical academic training, investing over £220 million each year in research training programmes.

We are working with the devolved administrations and stakeholders to ensure there is a comprehensive, clear, and rewarding career pathway for clinical academics in research.

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of GP appointments in Slough.

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

We recognise the challenges in accessing general practices (GPs). That’s why we are expanding capacity across England, including in Slough. Since October 2024, we have invested £160 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support recruitment of over 2,000 GPs, exceeding our initial target of 1,000. Changes in the 2025/26 contract have also removed restrictions so individual primary care networks can hire more GPs.

We are also introducing a practice‑level GP reimbursement scheme, worth £292 million, enabling practices to hire additional GPs or fund extra GP sessions. This will improve access, boost capacity, and support GP employment.

Slough sits within the NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board, where the number of appointments delivered in GPs has increased by 6.7%, rising from 358,000 in December 2024 to 382,000 in December 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dental students have undertaken training in (a) Nottingham, (b) Nottinghamshire, (c) the East Midlands and (d) England in each of the last 15 years.

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

There are currently no dental schools in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, or the East Midlands. Consequently, no dental students have undertaken undergraduate training in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, or the East Midlands. The following table shows the number of entrants to undergraduate dentistry courses in England from 2012 to 2025:

Source: Office for Students Medical and Dental Students Survey.

Note: data for 2025 is provisional as entrants are based on initial figures and may change.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of dentist appointments in Slough.

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

Integrated care board (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population. For the Slough constituency, this is the Frimley ICB.

The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, ICBs have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. We are broadening the scope of the commitment to deliver additional appointments so that they can be used for more patients, not just those who meet the clinical criteria for “urgent” care.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve 24-hour Urgent Community Response services for people at the end of life.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that people approaching the end of life receive high-quality, compassionate care whenever it is needed.

Urgent community response (UCR) services play a key role in this. UCR provides a two-hour community-based response to adults experiencing a sudden deterioration in their health and helps avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. People at the end of life are among those who can be referred into UCR services for urgent crisis, for symptom control and/or pain relief, in line with a person’s wishes.

We are committed to improving the consistency, capacity, and availability of UCR services across England. The Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery Plan 2025/26 includes actions to expand urgent care delivered in the community, including UCR, and the National Health Service 10-Year Health Plan further commits to increasing access to urgent care at home and in the community as part of the new Neighbourhood Health model.

Additionally, NHS England’s published statutory guidance on palliative care and end-of-life care states that integrated care boards, as commissioning authorities, must define how their local service providers meet population needs on a 24/7 basis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline, NG142: End of life care for adults: service delivery, also recommends that adults nearing the end of life have access to a healthcare professional 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as an out-of-hours advice line and access to essential medicines for symptom management.

Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

Furthermore, to strengthen provision for people at the end of life, we will publish a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) later this year. Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, including strengthening out-of-hours community health support, dedicated telephone advice, and overall consideration of 24/7 provision.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve out-of-hours support for people at the end of life.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that people approaching the end of life receive high-quality, compassionate care whenever it is needed.

Urgent community response (UCR) services play a key role in this. UCR provides a two-hour community-based response to adults experiencing a sudden deterioration in their health and helps avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. People at the end of life are among those who can be referred into UCR services for urgent crisis, for symptom control and/or pain relief, in line with a person’s wishes.

We are committed to improving the consistency, capacity, and availability of UCR services across England. The Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery Plan 2025/26 includes actions to expand urgent care delivered in the community, including UCR, and the National Health Service 10-Year Health Plan further commits to increasing access to urgent care at home and in the community as part of the new Neighbourhood Health model.

Additionally, NHS England’s published statutory guidance on palliative care and end-of-life care states that integrated care boards, as commissioning authorities, must define how their local service providers meet population needs on a 24/7 basis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline, NG142: End of life care for adults: service delivery, also recommends that adults nearing the end of life have access to a healthcare professional 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as an out-of-hours advice line and access to essential medicines for symptom management.

Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

Furthermore, to strengthen provision for people at the end of life, we will publish a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) later this year. Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, including strengthening out-of-hours community health support, dedicated telephone advice, and overall consideration of 24/7 provision.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a) the COVID-19 Pandemic and b) social media on the mental wellbeing of children; and what steps his Department is taking to help mitigate these impacts.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government welcomes the COVID-19 Inquiry’s investigations and is committed to learning lessons from the pandemic, including those relating to the potential impact on children’s mental health and wellbeing. We continue to respond openly and transparently to the inquiry’s requests and reports, and will be paying close attention to the Module 8 report, Children and Young People, and the Module 10 report, Impact on Society, which will cover mental health and wellbeing. Whilst we wait for these reports, the Department is already embedding mental health considerations into pandemic preparedness planning.

In 2019, the UK Chief Medical Officers published a commentary on the findings of a systematic review on screen-based activities and children’s mental health. They found an association between screen-based activities and mental health but could not establish causality. The commentary can be accessed at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c5b1510e5274a316cee5be8/UK_CMO_commentary_on_screentime_and_social_media_map_of_reviews.pdf

On 2 March 2026, the Government published a consultation on how to ensure children have a healthy relationship with devices, introduce rapid trials on measures to reduce screentime and limit access at night, and produce evidence-informed screentime guidance for parents of children aged five to 16 years old. The consultation can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve whistleblowing protections for NHS staff who (a) experience and (b) witness sexual misconduct by colleagues.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Employment Rights Act 1996 aims to protect all workers, including National Health Service staff, against unfair dismissal and detriment on the basis that they have made a ‘protected disclosure’. Where detriment occurs, workers can seek remedy through an employment tribunal. In relation to sexual misconduct, the Employment Rights Act 2025 amends the Employment Rights Act 1996 to make clear that workers who ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment can benefit from whistleblowing protections against detriment and unfair dismissal. This will provide welcome clarity for workers and employers. It may also encourage more workers to speak up about sexual harassment in the public interest by using whistleblowing routes. The measure will commence on 6 April 2026.

In addition to legal protections, there is a range of support in place for NHS workers who wish to report concerns. This includes a network of over 1,300 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, who provide an alternative route to support workers to speak up about something in their organisation, a National Freedom to Speak Up policy, providing minimum standards for local NHS speaking up policies, and support from independent organisations such as Speak Up Direct, which provides NHS and social care workers with impartial advice and support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of moving data controller responsibilities from GPs to (a) NHS and (b) government bodies.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, we will build on our programme of national public engagement on the use of health data and work with the system, including clinical staff, to move towards national and regional models of decision making for access to all National Health Service data for secondary uses, for instance data used for purposes beyond an individual’s care, for example planning NHS services and research. We will use a combination of policy and legislative change to implement this and speed up secure access to this data. This may result in changes to data controllership responsibilities for secondary uses of data.

General practices (GPs) would remain data controllers for data in GP records for an individual’s care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patient experience data and intelligence is independently aggregated and analysed following the abolition of local Healthwatch.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Following the abolition of local Healthwatch, our proposals are that integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities (LAs) will have the responsibility for gathering views, and feedback from local people about health and social care services respectively in their area.

ICBs and LAs will be required to take these views into account when looking at their commissioning strategies to ensure these meet the needs of local people. They will also be required to demonstrate that they have done so.

However, these proposals require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of diagnostic overshadowing for people with Down syndrome; and whether that issue will be included in the final statutory guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In 2023, NHS England produced a guide for frontline staff to support people with learning disabilities which asks staff to be aware of diagnostic overshadowing. NHS England does not hold data on the extent of diagnostic overshadowing for people with Down syndrome, nor is the data held centrally. This guide is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/clinical-guide-for-front-line-staff-to-support-the-management-of-patients-with-a-learning-disability-and-autistic-people-relevant-to-all-clinical-specialties/

Through the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, the Government is striving to improve life outcomes for people with Down syndrome, raise awareness and understanding of their needs, and break down barriers to opportunity that they, and other disabled people, face.

Under the Down Syndrome Act, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education and housing services on what they should be doing to support the needs of people with Down syndrome. The draft guidance, which was published for public consultation on 5 November 2025, acknowledges that many people with Down syndrome may experience diagnostic overshadowing and recognises its impact on the care and treatment that people receive.

The Department welcomes specific suggestions of other topics for inclusion or additional detail on those already covered through the consultation. Once the consultation has closed, the Government will consider all consultation responses to inform the final guidance to be published.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the final statutory guidance issued under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 will include Down syndrome-specific training for health, education and social care professionals.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Maidenhead on 5 January 2026 to Question 103131.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to release an impact assessment for changes to the NICE cost-effectiveness threshold.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no plans to publish an impact assessment or details of the modelling in relation to changes to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cost-effectiveness threshold. Information included in the impact assessment is commercially sensitive.

The United Kingdom and United States’ pharmaceutical deal is a vital investment that builds on the strength of our National Health Service and world leading life sciences sector.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made recent progress on developing national guidance for Auditory Verbal therapy for deaf children.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of services to meet the needs of their local populations, including services for non-hearing children.

Auditory verbal therapy (AVT) is one type of therapy to support children with hearing loss, and it is important that local commissioners have the discretion to decide how best to meet the needs of their local population, informed by the best available evidence and guidance.

NHS England supports ICBs to make informed decisions about the provision of audiology services so that they can provide consistent, high quality, and integrated care. In November 2025, NHS England appointed two national specialty advisers for hearing and associated conditions who are considering care pathway improvements for hearing services. Based on consideration of the current evidence on AVT, NHS England has no plans to develop such national guidance.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) prioritisation board considered childhood hearing loss as a potential guideline topic in August 2024. NICE concluded that there is limited evidence available in this area and that the 2015 NHS England Action Plan on Hearing Loss and guidance issued in 2019 addresses care for this population. It is understood that Auditory Verbal UK are in the process of developing the evidence base for the intervention. The NHS England Action Plan on Hearing Loss is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/act-plan-hearing-loss-upd.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that references to learning disability and support needs in the draft statutory guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 reflect the needs profile of people with Down syndrome.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give statutory guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. The consultation on the draft guidance was launched on 5 November 2025 and will remain open until 30 March 2026.

The draft guidance has been informed by over 1,500 responses to the call for evidence in 2022. A summary of these findings was published on 5 November 2025. In developing the draft guidance, the Department for Health and Social Care engaged with NHS England and all relevant Government departments, including the Department for Education. Officials also engaged with people with Down syndrome and those with other conditions and/or a learning disability who have similar needs, and their parents and carers, as well as experts and practitioners from multiple sectors, to ensure the guidance is robust, evidence-based and fit for purpose.

Based on what we were told during the call for evidence and subsequent engagement, a needs profile paper has also been developed which sets out the specific needs of people with Down syndrome. The needs paper, which has been published alongside the consultation, was used to inform the development of the draft guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of digital health forms on elderly people's access to health services.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Service organisations must ensure all patients have equitable access to care, and that decisions or policies do not unfairly disadvantage people or lead to an increase in inequalities. All NHS organisations are legally obliged to not discriminate.

This means that although we promote digital first services to those who choose to use them, a non-digital solution should be available for those patients who cannot or do not wish to engage digitally, which may include elderly people, to ensure continued, equitable access to care.

These non-digital routes must be available for all services provided by NHS organisations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to (a) GP practices (b) integrated care boards and (c) NHS trusts of participating in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Departmental body is responsible for promotion of careers in dentistry; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of arrangements for promoting dentistry careers in (a) Devon and (b) other areas.

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

Strengthening the dental workforce is key to our ambitions. We intend to set out next steps on the dental workforce soon. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

No specific departmental body is responsible for the promotion of dentistry careers however, the responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) across England. For the North Dorset constituency, this is Dorset ICB.

Integrated Care Boards are recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. The scheme is designed to encourage relocation to areas with workforce challenges, to attract new workforce to the NHS, and to retain those who might have otherwise moved into private practice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential causes of dementia diagnosis rates on trends in the level of such diagnosis rates in rural constituencies; and what support is provided to improve access to diagnosis in those areas.

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

We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%. To support recovery of the dementia diagnosis rates and implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway, we have developed a memory service dashboard for management information purposes. The aim is to support commissioners and providers with appropriate data and enable targeted support where needed.

To reduce variation in diagnosis rates, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has developed a tool for local systems, which includes an assessment of population characteristics such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. This enables systems to investigate local variation in diagnosis and take informed action to enhance their diagnosis rates. The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care. The commission is underway and phase one will report this year.

The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia. It will set national standards for dementia care and redirect NHS priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that NHS (a) policies and (b) guidance support unpaid family carers providing care in the home.

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

The Government recognises the vital role unpaid carers play in supporting those they care for and the National Health Service has clear duties to involve carers in care and discharge planning.

NHS England has issued guidance on identifying and supporting carers, including through primary care, and general practices are encouraged to record carers on patient records and signpost them to appropriate support. Integrated care systems are responsible for ensuring local services work together effectively to support unpaid carers.

The 10-Year Health Plan commits to enabling unpaid carers to have proxy access to medical records, test results and online prescriptions for the person they care for, with their consent, from 2026/27.

Under the Care Act 2014, carers are entitled to an assessment of their needs and support where eligible. Work is underway to implement the strengthened duties in the Health and Care Act 2022, including requirements on integrated care boards to involve carers in commissioning decisions and on involving unpaid carers in hospital discharge, aligned with the new CQC assessment approach.

The Government has also made funding available to local authorities, including through the Better Care Fund, to support carers’ services and promote joined-up working between health and social care.

We will continue to work with NHS England, local authorities and partners to ensure unpaid carers are recognised, valued and supported.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of early and accurate dementia diagnosis; and if he will commit to an 18-week referral to treatment target for dementia.

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

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

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care. The commission is underway and phase one will report this year. The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, as it will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

In developing the framework, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia. As part of this exercise, we will consider what interventions should be supported to improve diagnosis waiting times, which we know are too long in many areas. We are considering all options to help reduce variation, including reviewing metrics and targets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to ensure dementia diagnosis pathways align with NHS access standards for timely assessment and treatment.

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

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

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

As part of this exercise, we are considering all options to help reduce variation, including reviewing metrics and targets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish a dementia strategy within the current Parliament.

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

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care. The commission is underway and phase one will report this year.

The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, as it will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Pharmacy First on (a) patient satisfaction, (b) GP access and (c) pharmacy outcomes.

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

Pharmacies deliver a wide range of National Health Services, including Pharmacy First, that relieve pressure on general practices (GPs) and other parts of the NHS and help patients access healthcare advice, treatment, and preventative interventions more easily.

A National Institute for Health and Care Research funded evaluation of Pharmacy First will assess how the service has been implemented across England, including impacts on prescribing in the GP setting, use of hospitals, and how the service has impacted access to care and the cost for different patient groups.

According to the latest available data, 29 January 2026, from the Health Insights Survey, 89.2% of respondents reported they were satisfied with the most recent NHS service they received at a pharmacy.

To date, over 4.5 million Pharmacy First clinical pathway consultations have been delivered. NHS England will continue to keep the Pharmacy First service under review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role he intends for public awareness campaign to play in improving early dementia diagnosis.

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

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care. The commission is underway and phase one will report this year.

The Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, as it will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

In developing the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia.

As part of this exercise, we will consider what interventions, such as public awareness campaigns, should be supported to improve early diagnosis for those with dementia.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of training for GPs and emergency healthcare staff to understand chronic pain conditions.

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

Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.

General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. In 2012 the GMC introduced revalidation which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, gives patients confidence doctors are up to date with their practice, and promotes improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.

To support healthcare professionals in the assessment and management of chronic pain, the NICE has published guidance on this topic, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193

The guidance includes recommendations for healthcare professionals on how to carry out a person-centred assessment when an individual presents with chronic pain, how to develop a care and support plan for a patient with chronic pain, and how to manage flare-ups of chronic pain. The guidance also includes recommendations on both pharmacological and non-pharmacological management options for chronic pain.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) guidance has been provided to Dudley Council on the treatment of Armed Forces compensation in means-testing for Disabled Facilities Grants and (b) the Government’s commission on adult social care will consider reform to the treatment of Armed Forces compensation in means testing for the Disabled Facilities Grant.

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

In March 2022, the Government published Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) guidance for local authorities in England. It includes a section on the Armed Forces community and can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/disabled-facilities-grant-dfg-delivery-guidance-for-local-authorities-in-england

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government funds Foundations, the national body for the Disabled Facilities Grant and Home Improvement Agencies, to work with local authorities on all aspects of delivery. We are not aware of any specific guidance provided to Dudley Council; however, local authorities have a considerable degree of discretion in how they deliver home adaptation grants. This includes the power to fully disregard all military compensation payments in the application of the means test.

Baroness Casey, chair of the Independent Commission into adult social care, is looking at what fundamental reforms will be needed in adult social care. The Commission's Terms of Reference is sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define its remit to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve dementia training for adult social care and primary care staff, particularly in relation to recognising early symptoms.

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

We want all relevant staff to have received appropriate training to provide high quality care to people with dementia, whether in primary or social care. The required training needs are set out in the Dementia training Standards Framework, which is available at the following link:

https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/dementia-2015-updated-2018/

The framework was commissioned and funded by the Department and developed in collaboration with the sector. It sets out the essential knowledge and skills and expected learning outcomes applicable across the health and care spectrum.

There are a variety of resources available on the NHS England E-learning for Health platform, including a programme on dementia care, designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce.

The Department launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme in September 2024, providing funding for eligible care staff to undertake courses and qualifications, including the new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how he plans to reward high-performing GP practices.

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

Practices that participate in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) are financially rewarded for achieving performance indicators. Indicators and thresholds are designed to be stretching, but attainable.

QOF has been refined for 2026/27 to support more clinically effective patient care and to better align with updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

As well as traditional achievement thresholds, for 2026/27, practices are further incentivised to perform by having opportunity to earn QOF points through improving against their own baseline achievement for childhood immunisation indicators. This change is intended to recognise and reward practices, particularly those in more deprived areas that may not meet the existing achievement thresholds but demonstrate meaningful and sustained improvement in vaccination uptake.

We are committed to ensuring that all practices receive appropriate support and resources. We are investing an additional £485 million in general practice in 2026/27, bringing the total spend on the GP contract to over £13.8 billion. This builds on last year’s £1.1 billion of investment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of trends in the levels of NHS Continuing Healthcare application success rates.

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

Operational delivery of National Health Service Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is the responsibility of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) with oversight from NHS England. Decisions on eligibility for CHC are taken by the relevant ICB, on a case-by-case basis based on an individual’s assessed needs. Eligibility is not determined by age, clinical condition or financial means. Eligibility can vary across ICBs due to different factors including the age profile of the local population and health need variation between geographical regions.

We have understood “applications” to mean CHC referrals. NHS England measure CHC referrals quarterly at ICB, region, and national level. Latest published CHC and NHS-funded Nursing Care (FNC) data are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/nhs-chc-fnc/

NHS England’s assurance regime promotes accurate assessment, equal access, and consistency within CHC delivery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that advances from dementia research programmes are adopted into frontline clinical practice.

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

Through partnerships with patients, researchers, funders, and charities we continue to play a significant role in global efforts against the disease. The United Kingdom has established a rich ecosystem for dementia research. The Government is investing in dementia research across all areas, from causes, diagnosis and prevention, to treatment, care, and support, including for carers.

In developing the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia. As part of this exercise, we will consider what advancements, if validated for clinical use, interventions, metrics and targets should be supported to improve care for those with dementia.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England are working to plan for the adoption of any new, licensed and NICE-recommended treatments. NICE is a world-renowned health technology assessment body, and the Government is confident in its methods and processes for ensuring that any new medicines that are recommended for use on the National Health Service provide the most health benefit at a cost-effective price to the taxpayer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dental appointments were provided in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency in the last three 12-month periods.

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

The table below shows the available data for the number of National Health Service dental treatments delivered each year between 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 in the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. Data for dentistry is measured in courses of treatment, not appointments. One course of treatment can be more than one appointment.

Source: NHS Business Services Authority monthly statistics, available at the following link: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/dental-activity-data-england-july-2023-to-october-2025

Source: NHS Business Services Authority, available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425

The data for 2023/24 and 2024/25 are not directly comparable with the 2025/26 data due to the 2025/26 data being provisional. Final data for 2025/26 will be published in August 2026. Furthermore, the 2025/26 data covers seven months of activity, but the 2023/24 and 2024/25 data covers the full 12-month period.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help address regional disparities in dementia diagnosis rates, including in rural and coastal areas like Suffolk Coastal.

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

To reduce variation in diagnosis rates, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has developed a tool for local systems, which includes an assessment of population characteristics such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. This enables systems to investigate local variation in diagnosis and take informed action to enhance their diagnosis rates. The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.

We will also deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care. The commission is underway and phase one will report this year.

The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia. It will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the funding required to meet demand for NHS dental services in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency in the next 12 months.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care dentistry and receive an annual allocation of funding to secure services to meet the needs of their population. For the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, this is the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB. Further information on ICB allocation funding for 2026/27 to 2027/28 is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/

In 2024/25, we invested around £3.7 billion on primary care dentistry. We want to ensure that every penny we allocate for dentistry is spent on dentistry, and that the ringfenced dental budget is spent on the patients who need it most.

We have reduced the National Health Service dentistry underspend from £392 million in 2023/24 to £36 million in 2024/25.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (1) help tacklethe number of NHS dental practices in and around Dorking and Horley that are not accepting new NHS patients; and (2) increase access to NHS dentists accepting new patients in those areas.

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

Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements.

Integrated care board (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population. For the Dorking and Horley constituency, this is the Surrey Heartlands ICB.

In the Surrey Heartlands ICB, the ICB for Dorking and Horley, 14,625, or 4%, more NHS dental treatments were delivered in April to October 2025 compared to the same period before the election.

The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, ICBs have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. We are broadening the scope of the 700,000 dental appointments commitment so that the additional appointments can be used for more patients, not just those who meet the clinical criteria for “urgent” care.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. More information is available from the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of unpaid family carers on levels of demand for NHS services.

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

The Government recognises the significant contribution unpaid family carers make to supporting individuals to remain independent and well at home.

The Department continues to consider the impact of unpaid carers on levels of demand for National Health Service services as part of its broader assessment of health and social care system pressures. The contribution that unpaid family carers make in providing care can help to prevent avoidable hospital admissions and reduce pressure on NHS services.

Work is underway to support the strengthened duties and responsibilities of the NHS towards carers, set out in the Health & Care Act 2022 (in Section 46 around Integrated Care Boards involving carers in commissioning decisions and in section 91 around involvement of unpaid carers in hospital discharge), in a way that aligns with the new Care Quality Commission assessment approach.

We continue to work with NHS England and local authorities to ensure carers are identified, supported and involved in care planning to promote sustainable care arrangements and manage demand across the system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 2 February (HL13305), whether they expect a significant reduction in headcount in NHS England; and when they expect to reach their target for headcount reduction from the abolition of NHS England.

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

The Government’s ambition remains to reduce staff numbers by up to 50% across the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and the integrated care boards. These reductions will be made by March 2028. NHS England’s voluntary redundancy scheme opened on 1 December and closed for applications on Tuesday 16 December. Colleagues have now been informed whether applications to the scheme were successful, however applications can be withdrawn at any time before final agreements are signed so we cannot yet confirm final numbers. The earliest date NHS England colleagues will start to leave under the scheme is 31 March. Our ambition is to let as many people leave voluntarily as possible and alongside ongoing recruitment controls and natural staff turnover, and we believe this will allow us to make significant progress towards the 50% headcount reduction.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many medical school places are allocated to each medical school in (1) 2025, (2) 2026, (3) 2027, (4) 2028, and (5) 2029.

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

In England, the Office for Students (OfS) sets the maximum fundable limit for medical school places on an annual basis.

For the 2025/26 academic year, OfS has published its intake target at 8,126 for medical school places. The attached spreadsheet details how this figure is broken down across medical schools.

OfS will publish its intake target for the 2026/27 academic year in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the cap for international fee-paying students for medical schools (1) in total, and (2) for each medical school, in (a) 2026, and (b) 2027.

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

In England, the Office for Students (OfS) sets the maximum fundable limit for medical school places on an annual basis.

For the 2025/26 academic year, OfS has published its limit at 8,126 for medical school places. This includes provision for a maximum of 456 overseas students.

The attached spreadsheet details how the total maximum fundable limit is split between anticipated home and overseas students for each medical schools.

OfS will publish its intake targets for the 2026/27 academic year in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the independence of Healthwatch England from the Care Quality Commission; and what discussions the Care Quality Commission has had with Healthwatch England about its abolition.

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

The Government and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) both recognise the independent statutory role of Healthwatch England (HWE) in championing the views of those who use health and care services. Although the Health and Social Care Act 2012 established HWE as a statutory committee of the CQC, HWE sets its own priorities, has its own brand identity, and speaks with an independent voice. This arrangement is set out in the CQC’s formal framework agreement with the Department.

Following the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to incorporate the functions of HWE into a new Patient Experience Directorate within the Department, the CQC has been working closely with HWE on all aspects of a closure programme. This work includes engaging with relevant trade unions and regular meetings to plan for the abolishment of HWE in its current format.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the Care Quality Commission has enabled Healthwatch England to set the direction of its own work.

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

The Government and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) both recognise the independent statutory role of Healthwatch England (HWE) in championing the views of those who use health and care services. Although the Health and Social Care Act 2012 established HWE as a statutory committee of the CQC, HWE sets its own priorities, has its own brand identity, and speaks with an independent voice. This arrangement is set out in the CQC’s formal framework agreement with the Department.

Following the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to incorporate the functions of HWE into a new Patient Experience Directorate within the Department, the CQC has been working closely with HWE on all aspects of a closure programme. This work includes engaging with relevant trade unions and regular meetings to plan for the abolishment of HWE in its current format.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commission research into the potential impact of the daily use of mobile phones on eye diseases and health-related conditions.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR is funding research into the possible health impacts of mobile phone use on health, although this has not focused on eye diseases. The NIHR Policy Research Programme has allocated approximately £2 million of funding to support the United Kingdom arm of the pan-European Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health. This international cohort study has been funded since 2014 and is investigating possible health effects from long-term use of mobile phones and other wireless technologies. Specific health effects being examined are brain and other tumours, heart disease, stroke, fertility, birth events, for instance low birth weight or preterm birth, neurodegenerative diseases, and mental health conditions. Previously, NIHR provided £1.5 million to the Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones, which has investigated whether children’s use of mobile phones might affect their cognitive or behavioural development.

The NIHR welcomes research funding applications in any aspect of health and care, including the impact of mobile phone use on eye diseases.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adding cystic fibrosis to the list of medical conditions that qualify for exemption from NHS prescription charges.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Yeovil on 27 January 2026 to Question 107568.

The last review of the prescription charge exemptions for people with long term conditions was conducted in 2009, by Professor Ian Gilmore, the then President of the Royal College of Physicians. His report was published in 2010 and is available on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prescription-charges-review-the-gilmore-report

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the list of medical conditions eligible for exemption from NHS prescription charges was last reviewed; and whether he plans to conduct a further review of that list.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Yeovil on 27 January 2026 to Question 107568.

The last review of the prescription charge exemptions for people with long term conditions was conducted in 2009, by Professor Ian Gilmore, the then President of the Royal College of Physicians. His report was published in 2010 and is available on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prescription-charges-review-the-gilmore-report

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase research and development on child brain tumours.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is a major area of NIHR spending at £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.

We are committed to furthering our investment in brain cancer research and have already taken steps to stimulate scientific progress and build scientific capacity to do research on brain cancer.

In January 2026, the NIHR announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer.

The NIHR has also announced a new partnership with Cancer Research UK (CRUK), with approximately £3 million to co-fund Brain Tumour Centres of Excellence, which includes the Children’s Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence. This investment will accelerate the move from foundational research to delivering innovative treatments for patients.

In addition, the NIHR is actively engaged with CRUK alongside the health departments of the devolved administrations, through joint funding of the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre network, a United Kingdom-wide consortium of specialist centres dedicated to early phase clinical trials and translational cancer research, including those for brain tumours. They have both an adult and a paediatric network.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including paediatric brain cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of medical research funding has been allocated to eye research in each of the last five financial years; and what proportion of that funding has been directed towards age-related macular degeneration.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. In the last five financial years it has awarded £26.2 million on eye research which has included £6.2 million on age related macular degeneration.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on treatment for people with pulmonary fibrosis.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Department ministers have regular discussions with their counterparts in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on matters of cross border interest. There have been no specific meetings held recently on treatment for people with pulmonary fibrosis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the outcomes of the Extend medicines responsibilities for allied health professions consultation which closed in October 2025.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is currently analysing the large number of respondents received, and a Government response detailing next steps will be published in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it policy to extend funding for Type 1 Diabetes and Disordered Eating pilot programmes to ensure (a) they do not collapse and (b) a national network of specialist treatment centres can be established.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

Funding for the Type 1 Diabetes and Disordered Eating (T1DE) pilots was time-limited with the expectation that once the national funding expires, responsibility for considering the future provision of T1DE services would sit with the relevant integrated care board (ICB) who are responsible for planning and commissioning diabetes treatment and care.

NHS England has previously extended the initial two-year funding term, which has enabled the sites to run for much longer than initially expected. NHS England is providing evaluation data to the ICBs to support local decision making. The pilot sites will receive confirmation in relation to any future national funding shortly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to support people who have requested help and information on detransitioning.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on Microsoft software licenses in the last 12 months.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

DHSC spent £4.3m on Microsoft licensing for internal use for the period 1 February 2025 to 31 January 2026.

All purchases are based upon a valid business requirement and utilise national pricing agreements negotiated by the Crown Commercial Service to ensure value for the taxpayer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to help (a) tackle male suicide and (b) improve access to support for men struggling with their mental health.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England identifies middle aged men as a priority group for targeted and tailored support at a national level. There needs to be appropriate support and signposting for suicide prevention from services men commonly interact with, especially primary care, as well as Government agencies, and wider physical and mental health services. This can also include places where people may seek support for risk factors that have been linked to male suicide, including debt, and alcohol and drug misuse.

On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community, and family networks and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease.

Through the Men’s Health Strategy, we are launching a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to tackle male suicide and improve mental health literacy, by embedding health messaging into the matchday experience.

We also announced the Suicide Prevention Support Pathfinders programme for middle-aged men. This program will invest up to £3.6 million over three years in areas of England where middle-aged men are at most risk of taking their own lives and will tackle the barriers that they face in seeking support.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach and access to timely mental health care, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App. These services are available to men struggling with their mental health.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help raise public awareness of routes for support to prevent male suicide.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England identifies middle aged men as a priority group for targeted and tailored support at a national level. There needs to be appropriate support and signposting for suicide prevention from services men commonly interact with, especially primary care, as well as Government agencies, and wider physical and mental health services. This can also include places where people may seek support for risk factors that have been linked to male suicide, including debt, and alcohol and drug misuse.

On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community, and family networks and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease.

Through the Men’s Health Strategy, we are launching a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to tackle male suicide and improve mental health literacy, by embedding health messaging into the matchday experience.

We also announced the Suicide Prevention Support Pathfinders programme for middle-aged men. This program will invest up to £3.6 million over three years in areas of England where middle-aged men are at most risk of taking their own lives and will tackle the barriers that they face in seeking support.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach and access to timely mental health care, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App. These services are available to men struggling with their mental health.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure people with (a) disabilities and (b) additional needs receive (i) timely and (ii) effective medical attention.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We want disabled people’s access to, and experience of, healthcare services to be equitable, effective, and responsive to their needs. The 10-Year Health Plan specifically identifies disabled people as a priority group for the development of neighbourhood health care, offering more holistic ongoing support, and noting the health inequalities they face.

Under the Equality Act (2010), health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. NHS England is rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient or client and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably. Under a new information standard, published on 19 December 2025, all publicly funded health and social care service providers must be able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026.

The NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework requires that from 2026/27 all integrated care boards and Community Health Services must actively manage and reduce the proportion of waits across all Community Health Services over 18 weeks and develop a plan to eliminate all 52-week waits. It also sets a new target to deliver all urgent general practice appointments on the same day.

The Elective Recovery Plan sets out commitments to tackle disparities in access to and waiting times for elective care, and our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 sets out clear actions to deliver improvements this winter and make services better every day.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support NHS trusts to help tackle the root causes of recurring complaints.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Health Service should listen to, learn from, and act on issues that are raised in complaints to ensure services continually improve and that when things go wrong, problems are addressed and not repeated.

To support good complaint handling, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s NHS Complaint Standards and accompanying guidance set out how organisations providing services in the NHS should approach complaint handling, including the promotion of a learning culture that identifies and addresses recurring themes and issues.

We recognise that more needs to be done and through implementation of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will reform the NHS complaints process and strengthen the patient voice by setting clear standards for the quality of responses to complaints and to ensure the NHS listens carefully and compassionately, taking forward learnings to ensure high quality care. We will also increase the use of artificial intelligence tools to ensure complaints data is collected, and responded to, far more quickly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide 24/7 mental health support to prevent suicide.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach and access to timely mental health care, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App.

The Government has invested up to £120 million to increase the number of crisis assessment centres, which will provide reactive, short term intensive support for people in acute mental health crisis.

To strengthen access to urgent mental health support, anyone in England experiencing a mental health crisis can now to speak to a trained NHS professional at any time of the day through a mental health option on NHS 111. This integrated service can give patients of all ages the chance to be listened to by a trained member of staff who can help direct them to the right place.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delayed discharges on emergency department congestion at Basildon Hospital.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has not made a specific central assessment of the impact of delayed discharges on emergency department congestion at Basildon Hospital.

Local analysis by the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust suggests substantial progress in reducing delayed discharges. This improvement follows the introduction of the integrated care transfer hub and wider system measures to strengthen patient flow, helping to ease pressure on emergency departments.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 sets out actions to improve performance and strengthen services by reducing avoidable attendances and admissions, and through improving patient flow through hospitals. The plan commits to reducing the number of patients waiting over 12 hours for admission or discharge to less than 10% of the time, supported by almost £450 million of capital investment to avoid unnecessary admissions and support faster treatment and discharge for patients. It also includes commitments to tackle long delayed patients and reduce internal hospital delays over 48 hours.

The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s One Team Improvement Plan also includes actions to improve urgent and emergency care outcomes, including increased weekend consultant cover to support more weekend discharges and maintain patient flow.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has allocated to counselling services for victims of rape and sexual assault in 2024-2025.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We cannot provide the information on this as the Department does not hold a single, centrally allocated budget line specifically for counselling services for victims of rape and sexual assault. Funding for these services is provided through a combination of routes, including National Health Service-commissioned mental health services, and through funding administered by other departments.

NHS England also funds sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) which provide crisis care, medical and forensic examinations, and onward referral to other support services. NHS England spent £57.6 million on SARCs in 2024/25.

More widely, the 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including victims of rape and sexual assault. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App.

The plan will build on the work that has already begun to bring down waiting lists. This includes providing an extra £688 million in Government funding this year to transform mental health services, to hire more staff, deliver more early interventions, and get waiting lists down.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve support for families affected by suicide.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Evidence suggests that those who are bereaved by suicide may have a risk of dying by suicide up to three times higher than the general population. The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England identifies eight priority areas for targeted and tailored support, one of which is to provide compassionate, timely, and effective support for people bereaved by suicide. Our actions are to better understand the personal experiences of people bereaved by suicide including through learning from our voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector (VCSE) partners, to explore opportunities to improve access and support for those bereaved by suicide and to engage with new evidence around bereavement.

Bereavement services and support should consider the needs of different groups and communities to ensure the widest range of people receive the support they need, wherever they live. The Government, local authorities, police, coroners, the National Health Service, schools and universities, and VCSE organisations all have an essential role in providing effective and timely bereavement support to.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will outline the nature of the joint process between NICE and MHRA referenced in 2026 National Cancer Plan.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicine, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.

The joint process between the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the MHRA, as mentioned in the National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, refers to the commitments of the two organisations to align decision timeframes for new medicines and new indications, as outlined in the Government’s Regulatory Action plan, England’s 10-Year Health Plan, and the Life Sciences Sector Plan, in action 27, all published in 2025. The Life Sciences Sector Plan is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688c90a8e8ba9507fc1b090c/Life_Sciences_Sector_Plan.pdf

This joint information-sharing initiative aims to deliver both MHRA licensing decision and NICE guidance publication at the same time. It will mean more medicines receive approval for use on the National Health Service in England at the same time as they are authorised for use in the UK. This will ultimately benefit patients in the UK as it is anticipated that new medicines will reach UK patients three to six months faster as a result. This initiative was announced by the MHRA and NICE in August 2025, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/patients-will-receive-medicines-3-6-months-faster-under-10-year-health-plan-as-regulators-set-out-plans

Action 27 of the Life Sciences Sector Plan also introduces an integrated scientific advice service, launching in March 2026, where the two organisations will work together to provide medicines developers with advice to support this aligned approach.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure people with disabilities do not experience long wait times for medical appointments.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We want disabled people’s access to, and experience of, healthcare services to be equitable, effective, and responsive to their needs. The 10-Year Health Plan specifically identifies disabled people as a priority group for the development of neighbourhood health care, offering more holistic ongoing support, and noting the health inequalities they face.

Under the Equality Act (2010), health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. NHS England is rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient or client and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably. Under a new information standard, published on 19 December 2025, all publicly funded health and social care service providers must be able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026.

The NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework requires that from 2026/27 all integrated care boards and Community Health Services must actively manage and reduce the proportion of waits across all Community Health Services over 18 weeks and develop a plan to eliminate all 52-week waits. It also sets a new target to deliver all urgent general practice appointments on the same day.

The Elective Recovery Plan sets out commitments to tackle disparities in access to and waiting times for elective care, and our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 sets out clear actions to deliver improvements this winter and make services better every day.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve research into (a) the causes of respiratory conditions and (b) the adoption of new medicines for respiratory conditions.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with respiratory conditions, have access to cutting-edge clinical research and innovative, lifesaving treatments. Between 2020/21 and 2025/26, the Department, through its research delivery arm the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has allocated £7.4 million for research into the causes of respiratory conditions and £33.5 million for studies on the adoption of new medicines for these conditions. The NIHR accepts applications across all areas of human health, including respiratory diseases. Further information on the NIHR’s work on respiratory conditions can be found at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/support-and-services/support-for-delivering-research/specialties-and-settings/specialties#tab-respiratory

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what applicant-led funding streams are available to medical researchers.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds clinical, public health, and social care research and works in partnership with the National Health Service, universities, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public, and the NIHR also funds global health research. Funding opportunities can be accessed from the NIHR website, at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding-opportunities

The NIHR also provides a wide range of applicant‑led funding streams that support high‑quality research across all areas of human health and care which can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-funding/funding-programmes

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding schemes his Department provides for medical researchers.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds clinical, public health, and social care research and works in partnership with the National Health Service, universities, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public, and the NIHR also funds global health research. Funding opportunities can be accessed from the NIHR website, at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding-opportunities

The NIHR also provides a wide range of applicant‑led funding streams that support high‑quality research across all areas of human health and care which can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-funding/funding-programmes

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative estimate he has made of the (a) cost to the NHS and social care services of age-related macular degeneration-related sight loss and (b) potential cost savings of increased funding for preventative and curative research.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made a specific comparative estimate of the cost to the National Health Service and adult social care of age‑related macular degeneration‑related sight loss. Whilst it is not possible to estimate the potential cost savings from increased funding for specific preventative and curative research, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) provides a large economic return to society. For every £1 invested in NIHR research, over £13 of economic benefit is returned to the nation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 2 February (HL13305), what was the headcount at integrated care boards in (1) July 2024, and (2) the most recent period for which figures are available.

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

NHS England publishes monthly NHS Workforce Statistics which includes detailed statistics on staffing by individual trust and integrated care board (ICB). This publication has been used to supply a response to this question.

As of July 2024, there were 24,780 headcount staff working in ICBs across England. As of November 2025, this figure has decreased by 22 to 24,758 headcount staff working in ICBs across England. These numbers cover all staff employed directly by ICBs.

In April 2025 staff from two Commissiong Support Units, the NHS North of England Commissioning Support Unit and the NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit, transferred into the employment of their local ICBs, namely the NHS North East and Cumbria ICB and the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB respectively. The impact of these moves was a one-off increase of 450 ICB staff across the two transfers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recommendations of the House of Lords' Time to Deliver report of 23 November 2025, HL 205, whether the Department plans to develop and publish a new comprehensive autism strategy.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

On 23 January 2026, we published our response to the House of Lords Autism Act 2009 Inquiry Committee’s report Time to deliver: The Autism Act 2009 and the new autism strategy. We welcomed the committee’s report, and are carefully considering its recommendations, as well as our approach to developing a new national autism strategy, and we will set out a position in due course.

We recognise that a large amount of evidence was gathered by the committee and we will consider this evidence, along with evidence from various other reviews, papers, and reports. We recognise that meaningful engagement will take time, so a balance will need to be struck as to what level of further engagement is required. The current strategy will remain in effect until a revised strategy is published.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will publish a formal response to the Hughes report.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which sets out options for redress for those harmed by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. I recently met with the Patient Safety Commissioner to provide an update on the work led by the Department regarding sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. Though a decision to provide financial compensation has not yet been made, the Government is determined to make meaningful progress on this area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the development and approval of personalised cancer vaccines.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has completed a public consultation on its draft guideline on individualised mRNA cancer immunotherapies, a new type of personalised cancer treatment. These technologies use cutting-edge science such as artificial intelligence to design a medicine tailored to each patient’s unique tumour profile. The MHRA’s public consultation on its draft guideline on individualised mRNA cancer immunotherapies is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/draft-guidance-on-individualised-mrna-cancer-immunotherapies

The MHRA received positive responses from across the life sciences community, the National Health Service, patient groups, academics, and international regulators. Feedback recognised the United Kingdom’s leadership in this area, while calling for greater clarity in some aspects of the guideline.

In response, we will refine the guideline to ensure regulatory expectations are clearly articulated, without hampering innovation. This will facilitate faster access to these promising new therapies, while upholding our standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. The final version of the guideline will be published in the coming months, with future updates anticipated as regulatory experience evolves in this rapidly developing field.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of responses to the consultation on the draft statutory guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Through the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, the Government is striving to improve life outcomes for people with Down syndrome, raise awareness and understanding of their needs, and break down barriers to opportunity that they, and other disabled people, face.

The Down Syndrome Act 2022 requires my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on the actions they should be taking to support the needs of people with Down syndrome.

The public consultation on the draft guidance was launched on 5 November 2025 and will remain open until 30 March 2026. Once the consultation has closed, the Government will consider all consultation responses to inform the final guidance to be published.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has held with Cabinet Colleagues regarding funding for financial redress to people affected by sodium valproate.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which sets out options for redress for those harmed by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh.

The Government recently responded to a statutory request by the Patient Safety Commissioner in which she requested information on Government advice, meetings, and progress regarding the Hughes Report and patient redress since October 2023. This response can be found on the Patient Safety Commissioner’s website. The Government’s response makes clear that work to consider the Hughes Report recommendations has been ongoing and includes cross-Government engagement.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service enquiries within required timeframes.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have not made an assessment of the adequacy of National Health Service trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) enquiries. Generally, there are no required national timeframes for responding to enquiries made to PALS. However, if they are responding to complaints raised under the formal NHS complaints process, they must follow the requirements in The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009. The regulations require NHS organisations to notify complainants about the timeframe in which the investigation of their complaint is likely to be completed and investigate and resolve formal NHS complaints speedily and efficiently.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the status of endometriosis as a possible condition for the NHS outcomes and registry programme.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS England Outcomes and Registries Programme (ORP) was set up to collate device level information that is not easily accessible elsewhere, with the aim of improving patient safety and device recall procedures.

There has recently been an expansion of this data platform to receive non-device-related data in exceptional circumstances, prioritising registry support to clinical services where there are gaps or existing data would otherwise be lost. As endometriosis can be identified through existing means, such as diagnostic coding, we have no plans to bring it in scope of the ORP at this time.

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Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her department is taking to ensure children in foster care receive adequate mental support.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is committed to ensuring children in foster care receive appropriate emotional and mental health support. Regulations require every looked-after child to have their emotional and mental health assessed by a medical practitioner. Local authorities must ensure this happens. Integrated care boards and NHS England must cooperate with requests for services. Joint statutory guidance sets clear expectations that local authorities and health partners should promote wellbeing, act early on signs of difficulty, and ensure assessors have the right skills. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children--2.

We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care to strengthen mental health support for care‑experienced children. Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, new corporate parenting responsibilities will be placed on government departments and relevant public bodies, ensuring they consider the needs of looked-after children and care leavers when designing and delivering health services. In December 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and I announced a three year pilot to ensure children in care have access to the support they need sooner. This will build on existing work across the country, bringing social workers and NHS professionals together to provide direct mental health support to children and families when they need it most.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her department plans to establish the public health task force recommended by the Independent Water Commission prior to the introduction of the Water Reform Bill.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Through an upcoming Water Bill, we intend to progress an ambitious, coherent reset of the legislative framework.

As we take this forward, we will work in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure public health is considered broadly in our new water frameworks and regulations and to consider evidence gaps. Protecting and improving public health is a key consideration of the Government’s once-in-a-generation water reforms.

A new Public Health Water Taskforce, led by the Chief Medical Officer for England, will be a key part of Government’s reforms to the water system. The Taskforce will provide independent and technical advice on public health risks from water and opportunities to improve treatment and protection.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Recommendation 57 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, whether the sprint review of system-wide capacity of the MOD and DHSC has begun or concluded.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

There is ongoing work between Ministry of Defence (MOD), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the NHS to review system-wide capacity and shape and plan the UK’s approach to respond collectively as health services to meet the demands of warfighting.

The latest in a series of workshops involving MOD, DHSC and UK health services, was hosted by NHS England in February 2026 focused on the role of the NHS in major conflict, including the potential clinical challenge to health services of modern conflict and how UK health services work collectively to respond to the challenge of conflict at scale. The Strategic Defence Review recommendations and the creation of integrated crisis plans will continue to be progressed as part of the ongoing engagement between the MOD, DHSC and the NHS.

Further, the work with allies through the NATO Medical Action Plan is addressing priority challenges in workforce; mass casualty planning; patient evacuation; and medical logistics. We will look to address legislative and regulatory barriers to effective care.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what conversations he has had with the Department of Health and Social Care about the Human Tissue Authority’s role in regulating the care of corpses throughout the death pathway including in funeral homes.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is considering the full range of options to strengthen and improve standards to safeguard the security and dignity of the deceased, particularly in the context of a full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report which will be provided by summer 2026.

Our consideration has included discussions about a potential role for a relevant partner organisation such as the Human Tissue Authority.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction in the level of Official Development Assistance funding on the Global Health Partnerships scheme.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK should be proud of the progress made in international development this century. But the world has changed, and so must we. With less money, we must make choices and focus on greater impact

The Global Health Workforce Programme, led by the Department of Health and Social Care and delivered by organisations including Global Health Partnerships, is closing at the end of March 2026.

Efforts are being made with delivery partners to ensure the sustainability of projects beyond the programme’s lifetime.

We remain committed to international development and will continue to support countries to build resilient, sustainable health systems.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department provides guidance to parents on the use of smartphones and internet-enabled devices by children of pre-school age.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care are jointly working to produce and publish new practical, evidence informed guidance for parents on screentime for early years (0-5) by April 2026.

An expert group of child health and development specialists has been convened to shape the guidance, which will also be informed by the perspectives of parents and carers. Details on the work of the group, including its membership can be found here.

The group recently launched a call for evidence asking for evidence that will inform the development of new parental guidance on screen time and usage for early years (0 to 5-year-old) children. More information on the call for evidence can be found here.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to raise public awareness of the risks associated with football-related chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Mitigating the causes and effects of head injuries in sport is of huge importance to the Government and we are taking steps to raise public awareness of the risks and to improve awareness of the causes and effects of concussion.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is developing an Action Plan on Acquired Brain Injury which will be published shortly.

We do not hold information about, and are not in a position to estimate, the number of people at risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy from participation in contact sports.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if will make an estimate of the number of people at risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy as a result of participation in contact sports.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Mitigating the causes and effects of head injuries in sport is of huge importance to the Government and we are taking steps to raise public awareness of the risks and to improve awareness of the causes and effects of concussion.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is developing an Action Plan on Acquired Brain Injury which will be published shortly.

We do not hold information about, and are not in a position to estimate, the number of people at risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy from participation in contact sports.

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Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the UK Government's press release of 3 February 2026, Government to cover travel costs of children with cancer, which accepted the proposal by Young Lives vs Cancer for a £10 million travel fund to support the cost of the young people travelling for treatment, what (a) steps it will take to ensure parity for children and under-25s in Scotland who have cancer with those in England, (b) discussions it has held with the UK Government regarding the implementation of the fund, and whether these will inform any decisions about expanding the Young Patients Family Fund eligibility criteria to include all such young people, including those receiving treatment as day-patients, and (c) assessment it has carried out of any impact on reducing health inequalities of expanding the Young Patients Family Fund's eligibility criteria to include these young people.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) is designed to support the families of all babies, children and young people from birth to age 18 who require inpatient care in Scotland regardless of diagnosis.

Financial support for travel to hospital appointments is available through the patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes. Under these schemes, patients and authorised escorts may reclaim reasonable travel costs associated with attending hospital appointments, subject to eligibility criteria and clinical requirements. These arrangements apply across Scotland and provide support to eligible young people and their families irrespective of condition.

Scottish Government officials met with counterparts in the UK Department of Health and Social Care in March 2025 as part of wider engagement on the development of their National Cancer Plan for England. During this meeting, officials shared learning on the implementation and administration of the Young Patients Family Fund.

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