Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what quality assurance and oversight is undertaken by NHS England on learning disabilities mortality review reports before publication, and which minister or official is responsible for approval of the final report before publication.

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

NHS England works with an academic partner, Kings College London, to produce the Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) annual report. NHS England provides oversight in relation to LeDeR policy, process and wider National Health Service policy, and commissions the annual report.

The report is independent and provides analysis of LeDeR review data. NHS England and the Department check findings are clearly and consistently presented to ensure transparency for the public.

The 2023 report was approved by NHS England’s Chief Executive.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what basis they used to calculate that it is value for money to make a performance-related bonus of up to £114,000 available for the role of Director General for Commercial and Growth.

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

The remuneration for senior Government Commercial Organisation (GCO) roles is set centrally to ensure a consistent, cross-government approach that allows us to attract and retain commercial leaders within the specialised skills needed to manage complex challenges and deliver value for money.

This ‘invest to save’ model includes a performance-related pay element which is not guaranteed; it is strictly contingent on meeting stretching objectives designed to deliver significant taxpayer savings. Such payment is approved by the GCO Remuneration Committee and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury as per central guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Merron on 1 May (HL Deb col 144GC), when the review of the clinical commissioning policy relating to multi-grip hand and upper limb prosthesis is expected to be published.

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

NHS England has commissioned Solutions for Public Health (SPH) to complete a compliance audit report of the Multi-grip prosthetic hand (all ages) clinical commissioning policy, a copy of which is attached. The audit report from SPH will be available to commissioners by the end of October 2025.

NHS England will use the audit report to inform the evidence base for any proposed changes to the current commissioning policy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on how many days the Union Flag was flown on his Department's main buildings in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

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

The Union Flag was flown 360 days on the Department’s main building in 2024 and, as of 10 September 2025, has been flown 242 days in 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to confirm the cost of the redundancy package for staff being made redundant from (a) NHS England and (b) his Department.

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

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we are clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as scaling back integrated care board running costs and National Health Service provider corporate cost reductions to reduce waste and bureaucracy.

Good progress is being made, with the Department and NHS England having announced voluntary exit and expressions of interest schemes respectively.

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 the provision of specialist (a) wheelchairs, (b) beds and (c) armchairs for tall disabled people.

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 local wheelchair services. National Health Service trusts work with the patient and wheelchair supplier to best meet the patient’s needs and requirements.

A typical hospital bed is 200 centimetres long and can be extended by 20 centimetres with pressure relieving infills available. With regards to armchairs, the NHS Supply Chain works with customers and suppliers if any bespoke products are needed in the market.

Equipment provision, where required for use in peoples’ own homes, is typically through a community equipment service; these are usually funded through a combination of the local authority and local NHS and provided via an outsourced provider or a locally-run service.

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 the capacity in the whole genome sequencing programme for the treatment of less survivable cancers.

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

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory (NGTD), which includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases with an associated genetic cause and over 200 cancer clinical indications, including both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing. The NGTD sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing as well as the genomic targets to be tested and the method that should be used.

WGS is available on the NGTD for all paediatric and central nervous system tumours where there is a clear, clinical question and where results have expected utility/impact. WGS for all other adult solid tumours, including less survivable cancers, can be performed where there is a clinical need and where results are likely to change clinical management.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of his Department's funding for cancer research has been allocated to (a) brain, (b) liver, (c) lung, (d) oesophageal, (e) pancreatic and (f) stomach cancer research since 2022.

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

The Department invested over £133 million on cancer research for 2023/24, through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), reflecting cancer’s high priority.

The following table shows NIHR funding programme awards allocated for cancer research between April 2022 and March 2025:

Source: NIHR

Notes: This table includes new research programme funding awards made during this period. It does not include additional studies that have had funding approved but remain in the contracting process. It does not include NIHR infrastructure support for research given this information is not currently available for all tumour types included, or ongoing spending on existing research.

The Government recognises the crucial need for research into all forms of cancer and remain committed to the role of research to improve outcomes for patients. The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including cancer.

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 the funding for health bodies involved in the Right Care, Right Person framework; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on securing more funding for all bodies involved.

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

The Government has not made such an assessment and has instead asked all integrated care boards to estimate the resourcing requirements it would take for them to deliver the Right Care, Right Person framework. In November 2024, NHS England published the document, Guidance on implementing the National Partnership Agreement: Right Care, Right Person, which includes guidance on undertaking an impact assessment to identify how different agencies and services will be impacted and how any negative impacts will be mitigated. The Department and the Home Office continue to work together to monitor the framework and its impacts, and discussions have been had between departments at junior ministerial level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to expand prescribing of GLP-1 medications beyond specialist weight-management services.

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

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the first two GLP-1 medicines licensed for the treatment of obesity, namely liraglutide under various brand names and semaglutide with brand name Wegovy, restricted their use to specialist weight management services. These services are primarily delivered in secondary care.

NICE recommended that tirzepatide, with brand name Mounjaro, could be used for the treatment of obesity in eligible patients without a restriction on its setting. This means tirzepatide can be used in specialist weight management services but can also be prescribed in primary care by general practitioners (GPs) and other competent prescribers. From 23 June 2025, tirzepatide started to become available in primary care so the expansion beyond specialist services is underway.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are the National Health Service organisations responsible for arranging the provision of health services within their area in line with local population need and taking account of relevant guidance. ICBs have had to develop new care pathways to ensure that patients can access these medicines via their GP with appropriate wraparound support. NHS England has been working closely with ICBs to support the safe and effective roll out of tirzepatide in primary care. It has identified the groups of people to be prioritised in each phase of the initial rollout; helped develop local treatment models; provided funding support and regular communication channels to ICBs; and set up an interim, centrally funded ‘wraparound care service’, known as the ‘Healthier You: Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing’, for patients to be referred into, with a procurement underway for a longer-term offer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had recent discussions with Eli Lilly on the cost of Mounjaro.

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

The Department has held various discussions with Eli Lilly regarding the recent list price increase of Mounjaro. NHS England has worked with Eli Lilly to ensure the list price increase will not affect National Health Service commissioning of tirzepatide in England as a treatment for eligible diabetes and obesity patients in the NHS.

We remain committed to the rollout of this medicine as a weight loss treatment based on clinical priority. This will enable 220,000 eligible people to access the medication over the first three years. The initial eligibility criteria will be for people with a body mass index of 40 or more in addition to four or more qualifying comorbidities.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also entered equivalent agreements to maintain their current commissioning approaches.

Pricing in the private market is a matter for Eli Lilly and for private providers. Private patients who are impacted by price increases should discuss any concerns with their private provider. This includes their options regarding payment plans, alternative treatments, and/or stopping or tapering off their current medication. Eli Lilly is working with private providers to support continued patient access.

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 social media companies on moderating (a) pro–eating disorder material and (b) misinformation relating to (i) diabetes and (ii) body image.

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

No discussions have been held with social media companies by the Department.

Under the Government’s Online Safety Act, all in-scope services are now required to protect their users from illegal content, and platforms likely to be accessed by children need to prevent their users from accessing eating disorder content.

We are working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Ofcom and others as the Online Safety Act takes effect. This includes exploring further opportunities to address harmful pro-eating disorder material and misinformation shared on social media and websites.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many NHS trusts have private finance initiative (PFI) debts; what is the scale of those debts; how many of the 25–30-year PFI contracts have been concluded; and how many PFI contracts are ending in legal dispute over the state of the annuity.

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

The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) programme was first established in 1992, with the final project signed in 2008. There were 126 projects signed by the National Health Service, including through NHS trusts, foundation trusts and primary care trusts, which are now held by NHS Property Services Limited (NHSPS). Some NHS organisations have multiple projects in their estates.

The private sector, through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), entered into a contract with the NHS to design, build, finance and maintain the facilities. There is no debt between the NHS and those SPVs. The annual payment (unitary charge) for these projects includes the cost of facilities management, services such as catering and cleaning in some projects, and the cost of building maintenance and lifecycle replacement in all projects.

The following table shows information from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA)’s 2024 published data on PFIs in the health portfolio and includes PFI projects where NHS trusts or NHSPS are the contracting authority:

Source: NISTA

Notes:

1. Some NHS trusts contract with NHSPS, not directly with SPVs
2. The number of NHS trusts in the table reflects how many NHS trusts have active PFI projects. Some NHS organisations have multiple projects in their estates.
3. The forecast value is updated annually based on inflation.

Projects end for a range of reasons, but there are no instances of legal dispute over the level of the unitary charge. The PFI Centre of Best Practice Team at the Department supports NHS trusts with operation projects where needed to ensuring value for money is maintained.

The Government announced in the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and in the 10 Year Health Plan that we will explore the feasibility of using new public-private partnership (PPP) models for taxpayer-funded projects in very limited circumstances where they could represent value for money. This includes exploring the potential to use PPPs to deliver certain types of primary and community health infrastructure.

A decision whether to use PPPs in these very limited circumstances will be taken by Autumn Budget 2025, based on co-development of a model and business case between NISTA and the Department. The business case will test value for money. Any new model will be subject to market-testing, will build on lessons learned from past government experience and models currently in use elsewhere in the United Kingdom, and the March 2025 National Audit Office report, ‘Lessons Learned: private finance for infrastructure’, a copy of which is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are offering to NHS trusts to ensure that any future private finance initiative contracts are value for money.

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

The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) programme was first established in 1992, with the final project signed in 2008. There were 126 projects signed by the National Health Service, including through NHS trusts, foundation trusts and primary care trusts, which are now held by NHS Property Services Limited (NHSPS). Some NHS organisations have multiple projects in their estates.

The private sector, through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), entered into a contract with the NHS to design, build, finance and maintain the facilities. There is no debt between the NHS and those SPVs. The annual payment (unitary charge) for these projects includes the cost of facilities management, services such as catering and cleaning in some projects, and the cost of building maintenance and lifecycle replacement in all projects.

The following table shows information from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA)’s 2024 published data on PFIs in the health portfolio and includes PFI projects where NHS trusts or NHSPS are the contracting authority:

Source: NISTA

Notes:

1. Some NHS trusts contract with NHSPS, not directly with SPVs
2. The number of NHS trusts in the table reflects how many NHS trusts have active PFI projects. Some NHS organisations have multiple projects in their estates.
3. The forecast value is updated annually based on inflation.

Projects end for a range of reasons, but there are no instances of legal dispute over the level of the unitary charge. The PFI Centre of Best Practice Team at the Department supports NHS trusts with operation projects where needed to ensuring value for money is maintained.

The Government announced in the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and in the 10 Year Health Plan that we will explore the feasibility of using new public-private partnership (PPP) models for taxpayer-funded projects in very limited circumstances where they could represent value for money. This includes exploring the potential to use PPPs to deliver certain types of primary and community health infrastructure.

A decision whether to use PPPs in these very limited circumstances will be taken by Autumn Budget 2025, based on co-development of a model and business case between NISTA and the Department. The business case will test value for money. Any new model will be subject to market-testing, will build on lessons learned from past government experience and models currently in use elsewhere in the United Kingdom, and the March 2025 National Audit Office report, ‘Lessons Learned: private finance for infrastructure’, a copy of which is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve training for healthcare practitioners in recognising and managing type 1 diabetes and eating disorders, including provision for GPs.

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

The standard of training for healthcare professionals is the responsibility of the independent professional regulators, who set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level, and who approve the courses and curricula that universities write and teach in order to enable their students to meet these outcome standards.

The curricula for postgraduate medical specialty training are set by individual royal colleges and faculties. For general practice, it is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners. The General Medical Council approves the curricula and assessment systems for each training programme.

Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all emphasise the skills and approaches a healthcare practitioner must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients, including for type 1 diabetes with disordered eating.

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

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what learning disabilities mortality review report recommendations have been mandated for NHS or social care organisations to implement by NHS England or the Department of Health and Social Care in each year between 2018 and 2022.

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

Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) is a service improvement programme established and led by NHS England. LeDeR is a crucial source of evidence that helps to identify the key improvements needed to tackle health disparities and prevent avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people.

The recommendations within LeDeR reports are not mandated but are intended to inform and guide action by health and social care organisations to improve the quality of care and services for patients, locally and nationally. Alongside each LeDeR report publication, NHS England publishes its Action from Learning Report which highlights local action directly driven by LeDeR findings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Imkaan’s report entitled Why should our rage be tidy, published in November 2024, whether (a) black and (b) minoritised survivors of domestic abuse are informed of by and for support services by their GP.

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

Imkaan’s report highlights the distinct and additional challenges faced by black and minoritised victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. The Government recognises that racial health inequalities are linked to broader socioeconomic factors. Tackling these inequalities is central to building a fairer health system where outcomes are not dictated by race or background. That is why NHS England has introduced a framework for integrated care boards (ICBs) to reduce disparities in outcomes and improve access to treatments.

All National Health Service staff, including general practitioners (GPs), are required to complete mandatory safeguarding training which includes how to identify, support and respond to domestic abuse and sexual violence. Safeguarding Leads within local NHS trusts, ICBs and general practices are responsible for ensuring practitioners are offering appropriate professional advice, support, and assurance to prevent harm, including onward referrals to specialist support services. Commissioning of support services for victims of abuse should be tailored to meet the needs and demographics of the local population.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to allow self-funded Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy as an add-on to NHS-funded IVF treatment.

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

Commissioning decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.

NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment are still appropriate. A consultation on revised guidelines was published on 10 September 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department has taken to ensure (a) GPs and (b) mental health professionals are trained in (i) identifying and (ii) responding to the (A) traumatic physical and emotional impacts of violence and abuse and (B) the specific consequences of abuse for Black and minoritised victims.

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

All National Health Service staff are required to complete mandatory safeguarding training which includes how to identify and respond to domestic abuse and sexual violence. This training is being revised and is due to be re-launched in early 2026. The training update will strengthen the importance of intersectional considerations, including helping staff to understand the impact of trauma and cultural barriers to discussing abuse.

General practitioners, along with other clinicians in the NHS, support victims and survivors of abuse in a range of ways depending on diagnosis and individual needs. This may include treating abuse-related injuries, referral to mental health treatment, or referral to a psychological support service such as peer support.

All mental health service providers are expected to embed the Patient and carer race equality framework. This mandatory framework supports trusts and providers to implement actions to reduce racial inequalities within their services. It will become part of Care Quality Commission inspections. The Framework is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/patient-and-carer-race-equality-framework/

Most integrated care boards and NHS trusts have appointed domestic abuse and sexual violence leads. They comprise a national network of leaders who share good practice, identify issues and develop solutions to support victim and survivors, including those from Black and minority groups.

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 1 September 2025 to Question 69778 on Hysteroscopy: Correspondence, whether his Department holds information on the number of women who were not sent a letter in advance of an outpatient hysteroscopy appointment.

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

The Department does not hold information on the number of women who were not sent a letter in advance of an outpatient hysteroscopy appointment specifically.

Letters and information sent to patients are determined at a local level by individual National Health Service trusts. A range of additional information is available for patients on hysteroscopy procedures, including on the NHS.UK website, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has created a patient information resource on hysteroscopy. This is available at the following link:

https://www.rcog.org.uk/outpatient-hysteroscopy

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 82 of the NHS Ten Year Plan, whether ICBs undergoing re-organisation will be further re-organised if their boundaries are not coterminous with new strategic authorities.

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

To deliver a reduction in running costs, a number of integrated care boards (ICBs) will cluster together to share leadership and functions. Clustering ICBs remain legally separate organisations with their own financial allocations. It will mean that during this financial year, the number of ICB senior leadership teams will go from 42 to 26. These have been published on the NHS England website, available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/integratedcare/integrated-care-in-your-area/more-about-each-integrated-care-system/

In the long term, there will be fewer, larger ICBs enabling them to harness a shared budget of sufficient size to improve efficiency and reduce running costs.

In areas where the boundaries of strategic authorities are not known, ICBs, including those that have clustered, may undergo future boundary changes to allow for alignment with newly created strategic authorities, and newly established unitary authorities resulting from local government reorganisation. Our aim throughout will be to deliver the best solutions for patients and citizens.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the job guarantee scheme for newly qualified nurses and midwives to include (a) occupational therapists, (b) physiotherapists and (c) other allied health professionals.

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

There are no plans to expand the job guarantee scheme to the professions highlighted, but the Government is committed to supporting all clinical staff in their careers. The new 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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan will include measures to recruit, train and retain mental health professionals with specialism in type 1 diabetes and eating disorders.

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

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. To support this, the Department and NHS England will be engaging with key stakeholders to ensure that the particular needs of different patient groups and relevant health professionals are reflected in this work.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of current and future investment in diagnostic facilities and equipment at Goole and District Hospital.

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

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity, including in Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire, to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including upgrading diagnostic facilities and equipment.

The Goole and District Hospital is currently providing key diagnostic services to patients across East Riding. The hospital currently offers imaging services, such as x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, as well as phlebotomy services.

NHS England work closely with each integrated care board (ICB), including the Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, to assess diagnostic capacity and prioritise investments. The ICB has invested £29.46 million of capital from the community diagnostic centre (CDC) programme to deliver seven CDCs, including the Selby Memorial CDC at the nearby Selby Memorial Hospital. This CDC offers a wide range of diagnostic tests, including x-ray, MRI, CT, electrocardiogram, non-obstetric ultrasound, Holter, and lung function tests, closer to home, and with a greater choice on where and how they are undertaken.

The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. Further details and allocations, including where any new diagnostics and equipment will be located, will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake a public health campaign to encourage those with suicidal thoughts to engage with mental health services, and for family and friends to not be afraid to raise the subject of suicide.

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

The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies eight priority groups for targeted and tailored support at a national level, including people in contact with mental health services. The strategy also identifies key risk factors for suicide, providing an opportunity for effective early intervention.

The purpose of the suicide prevention strategy is to set out our aims to prevent suicide through action by the Government and other organisations. One of the key visions of the strategy is to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health, so people feel able to seek help, including through the routes that work best for them. This includes raising awareness that no suicide is inevitable.

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, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App.

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 reduce the time taken to provide treatment for people with an eating disorder.

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

In 2024/25, we provided £106 million in funding to children’s eating disorder services, an increase of £10 million over 2023/24. This increase is helping clinicians to support more young people.

Between April and June 2025, 3,138 children and young people successfully entered treatment in community eating disorder services. This is the highest figure on record since 2021. At the same time, waiting lists to begin routine eating disorder treatment have shortened by 20% from the year before and we are working with NHS England to meet the waiting time standards for eating disorder services for children and young people.

NHS England is currently seeking to expand the capacity of children’s community eating disorder services, to allow for crisis care and intensive home treatment. Improved care in the community will give young people early access to evidence-based treatment involving families and carers, improving outcomes and preventing relapse.

We have also committed to expanding mental health support teams to cover 100% of pupils in England by December 2030, aiding school staff in recognising eating disorders and providing early intervention for children at risk.

Early intervention is also a priority for adults with eating disorders, as set out in the community mental health framework. NHS England has established 15 provider collaboratives focusing on adult eating disorders, which are working to redesign care pathways and focus resources on community services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with the University of Birmingham on the future of the Global Surgery Network beyond June 2026.

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

Departmental colleagues met with representatives of the University on 12 August 2025 to discuss the future of the Global Surgery Network. These discussions took place following the announcement from the Prime Minister in February 2025 to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3% of gross national income by 2027. After this announcement, and the outcome of the 2025 Spending Review, the Department has taken the decision to focus new ODA research funding on global health security and particular diseases of poverty.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery was originally awarded over £6.9 million in Global Health Research’s inaugural Units call in 2017 and, following a second NIHR funding competition, received a further award of £7 million in 2021 to establish a sustainable network of surgical research. This latest award is due to conclude in June 2026. The Department will honour all on-going research commitments.

We continue to recognise the critical importance of global health research to drive the health and well-being of the poorest and most vulnerable. Any updates on our funding opportunities will be reflected on the NIHR website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many learning disabilities mortality reviews (1) are yet to be started, and (2) have been started but not completed.

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

Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) is a service improvement programme established and led by NHS England.

As of 1st September 2025, there were 3,836 LeDeR reviews for people with a learning disability and autistic people in the LeDeR system which had not been completed. Of these, 1,626 (42%) have not been started.

508 (13%) of the reviews that have not been completed are currently on hold awaiting the completion of statutory processes such as coroner’s investigations or safeguarding reviews. 2,155 (56%) of the reviews that have not been completed are for people who died in 2025.

1,842 (48%) of the reviews were received within the last 6 months. The LeDeR policy sets the expectation that reviews are completed within six months of them being notified to LeDeR, unless statutory processes prevent that being possible or family members of those bereaved have asked for the review to be delayed. As of August 2025, 94% of all LeDeR reviews have been completed since the start of the programme in 2017.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have provided to the NHS to ensure that spending on privately owned health apps does not interfere with the operation of the NHS app.

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

Privately owned health apps do not interfere with the operation of the NHS App because they are separate systems that do not share data directly or integrate with the NHS App's core functionalities.

These apps offer different services and information, and some patients might use both to supplement the core functionalities of the NHS App, such as managing personal health data or accessing private healthcare providers.

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 the NHS provides adequate support to (a) digitally excluded and (b) vulnerable people in (i) North East Hampshire constituency and (ii) other rural areas.

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

We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experience for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Digital health tools should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.

NHS England has successfully run a number of programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include: the Digital Health Champions programme, a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online; the Widening Digital Participation programme, aimed to ensure more people have the digital skills, motivation and means to access health information and services online; and the NHS App ‘Spoken Word’ Pilot project, designed to test the efficacy of promoting National Health Service digital health products and services in languages other than English.

NHS England has published a framework for NHS action offering support to vulnerable people and those digitally excluded in rural areas and is developing further resources and practical actions including one-to-one support to improve digital literacy and access to NHS tools. All programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.

We know that some patients may struggle or prefer not to use digital options. That is why we have also committed to work with digital transformation teams in integrated care boards and with groups at risk of digital exclusion to ensure digital solutions are inclusive. We will also continue to provide high quality, non-digital options for those who want and need them.

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 the digitalisation of NHS services on people who are digitally excluded.

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

We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experience for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Digital health tools should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.

NHS England has successfully run a number of programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include: the Digital Health Champions programme, a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online; the Widening Digital Participation programme, aimed to ensure more people have the digital skills, motivation and means to access health information and services online; and the NHS App ‘Spoken Word’ Pilot project, designed to test the efficacy of promoting National Health Service digital health products and services in languages other than English.

NHS England has published a framework for NHS action offering support to vulnerable people and those digitally excluded in rural areas and is developing further resources and practical actions including one-to-one support to improve digital literacy and access to NHS tools. All programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.

We know that some patients may struggle or prefer not to use digital options. That is why we have also committed to work with digital transformation teams in integrated care boards and with groups at risk of digital exclusion to ensure digital solutions are inclusive. We will also continue to provide high quality, non-digital options for those who want and need them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 66144 on Mental Health: Children and Young People, in designing future waves of the Mental Health: Children and Young People statistics collection, if he will take steps with international counterparts in selected other countries to include a selection of questions which could be comparable internationally.

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

We have no plans to do so at present. Any changes to the questions to be included in any future Mental Health of Children and Young People in England surveys will be considered as part of the design process. Plans for future surveys will be confirmed in due course.

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 patient safety for people with (a) learning disabilities and (b) autism.

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

The Government is taking a range of actions to improve patient safety for people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

We are rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism across the health and adult social care workforce. This will help to ensure that staff have the right knowledge and skills to provide safe and informed care.

NHS England’s Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme works to tackle the root causes of unsafe and poor-quality inpatient care, supporting the cultural changes needed to create environments where people can flourish.

The Mental Health Bill, which is currently in Parliament, will limit the scope to detain people with a learning disability and autistic people in mental health hospitals. and put existing NHS England policies on a statutory footing to improve community support. There is funding in integrated care board baselines during 2025/26 to improve community support provision and reduce reliance on inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people, in line with the NHS Operational Planning Guidance.

More widely, the Government is committed to advancing patient safety and fostering a learning culture across the National Health Service. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will usher in a new era of transparency, a rigorous focus on high-quality care for all and a renewed emphasis on patient and staff voice.

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 on increasing access to Palforzia treatment.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assesses the clinical and cost effectiveness of new medicines on behalf of the National Health Service in England. Palforzia is an oral immunotherapy treatment for peanut allergy. In February 2022, NICE recommended Palforzia for NHS use as a possible treatment for peanut allergy in children and young people aged between four and 17 years old.

Once a medicine has been recommended for use in the NHS by NICE, the relevant NHS commissioners have 90 days within which to implement the NICE recommendation, after which they have a legal responsibility to make the treatment available to NHS patients. Additionally, any qualified prescriber can prescribe any medicine recommended by NICE, such as Palforzia. It is each integrated care board’s responsibility to commission services that will allow this medicine to be offered to their patients safely and effectively.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 8 August (HL9651), whether the proposed Health Data Research Service will process any data from a patient who has objected to their health data being used in research via the National Data Opt-Out service.

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

Keeping data safe and secure and ensuring patient and public privacy remain key principles of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS). The public will retain a right to opt out of specific uses of their data beyond their direct care, and these opt-outs will be respected with the implementation of HDRS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the LeDeR Annual Report 2023, published on 2 September, what the "unforeseen pressures" on the NHS were that resulted in fewer completed learning disabilities mortality reviews than expected.

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

Pressure on NHS services remain high due to a combination of factors including high demand across all services; ongoing recovery efforts after the pandemic and industrial action, recruitment and retention challenges in the NHS workforce and the need to reduce running costs of Integrated Care Boards.

Integrated Care Systems are expected both to complete LeDeR reviews and to implement improvement initiatives in response to reviews to reduce health inequalities and premature and avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people. This remains a priority despite pressures on NHS services. NHS England’s Action from Learning Report highlights improvement action being taken locally which is directly driven by LeDeR findings.

As of August 2025, 94% of all LeDeR reviews have been completed since the start of the programme in 2017.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services to make its initial set of recommendations.

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

In June 2025, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced an independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services, which will be chaired by Baroness Amos.

The investigation will produce an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025. These recommendations will take previous recommendations into consideration and will therefore take primacy over previous recommendations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services to complete.

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

In June 2025, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced an independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services, which will be chaired by Baroness Amos.

The investigation will produce an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025. These recommendations will take previous recommendations into consideration and will therefore take primacy over previous recommendations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 12 of the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, whether parents will be able to opt-out of universal newborn genomic testing.

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

The 10-Year Health Plan set out an ambition to offer newborn genomic testing as part of routine care within the next decade. Delivering against this ambition will be subject to evidence gathered through the Generation Study. This research programme is evaluating the effectiveness of using whole genome sequencing to test 100,000 newborns for more than 200 rare genetic conditions.

Participation in the Generation Study is voluntary, with parental consent required to store genomic and health data securely. Consent is an ongoing process, and parents can withdraw their child at any time before age 16, when the child will be asked to re-consent. If genomic testing becomes part of routine screening, parental consent will still be required, as with the current NHS screening programmes for newborn babies.

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 widen access to appropriate therapy treatments for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (a) nationally and (b) in Chichester constituency.

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

The NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning services to meet the mental health needs of the people in Chichester.

People with post-traumatic stress disorder can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies or their general practitioner can refer them.

Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services. We have chosen to prioritise funding to expand NHS Talking Therapies, so that the number of people completing a course of treatment is expected to increase by 384,000 by 2028/29.

We are also delivering on our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers for children and adults by the end of this Parliament. We are more than halfway towards this target, which will help to ease pressure on busy mental health services.

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 adequacy of the (a) supply and (b) availability of mefenamic acid for people in (i) the East of England and (ii) England.

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

The Department has a responsibility to work with United Kingdom medicine license holders to help ensure continuity of supply. We monitor and manage medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand and therefore measures are not specific to the east of England.

We are aware of a supply issue with mefenamic acid 50 milligram/5 millilitre oral suspension which is expected to resolve in December 2025. Alternative formulations of mefenamic acid remain available, including capsules and tablets.

The Department will continue to work closely with the manufacturer to resolve the issue as soon as possible and to ensure patients have continuous access to medicines. Any patient who is worried about their condition should speak to their clinician in the first instance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in Newbury constituency are waiting for an ADHD assessment; what the average waiting time is for ADHD assessments in Newbury constituency.

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

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

For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan. NHSE England has also released technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data and publishing more localised data in future. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

NHS England established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June 2025, with the final report expected later this year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.

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 the potential merits of recognising Essential Tremor as a disability.

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

The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. The Act defines ‘long-term’ in this context as having lasted, or being likely to last for, at least 12 months, or likely to last for the rest of the life of the person.

This could cover individual people who have Essential Tremor, where the condition has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what progress he has made on reducing trial approval times to under 150 days.

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

The Department is committed to cutting the current time it takes to get a clinical trial set up, to under 150 days by March 2026 with the aim of making the United Kingdom a world leader in clinical trials. We are streamlining the set-up and delivery of clinical research through the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme as set out in our recent publication, Transforming the UK clinical research system: August 2025 update, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-the-uk-clinical-research-system-august-2025-update

The UKCRD programme has rapidly implemented a Study Set-Up Plan, co-led by the Department and NHS England to address the delays affecting clinical research set-up through reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, by standardising commercial contracts and removing duplicative steps at sites to create a standardised pathway, for example in pharmacy set-up, to free up workforce capacity. The second phase of the Plan was completed in June 2025, with mandatory use of the new processes and templates for commercial trials by October 2025. The successful implementation of the Plan will be closely monitored for impact.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether patients will be able to access private healthcare services provided through the NHS on the NHS app.

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

We estimate there are around 450 independent sector providers that are providing National Health Service services via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). There is no classification of private healthcare or independent sector in the e-RS Directory of Services. Patients can already access referrals to these private healthcare providers via the NHS App where they have been shortlisted by their GP.

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 extent of regional inequities in the provision of early access programmes for (a) innovative treatments and (b) people living with SOD1 motor neurone disease.

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

Company-led early access programmes (EAPs) are not endorsed by the Department or NHS England and no assessment has been made of whether there are regional inequities in the provision of early access programmes for innovative treatments and people living with SOD1 motor neurone disease.

Participation in company-led schemes is decided at an individual NHS trust level. Under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both patients taking part in it, and to the National Health Service, but NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP.

NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks. ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:

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

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance NHS England provides to people who are prescribed antidepressants on the risks of developing persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD); and what consideration NHS England has given to adding PGAD as a side effect on the patient information leaflets for any medications which can cause it.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for the regulation of medicinal products in the United Kingdom. The MHRA ensures that medicines are efficacious and acceptably safe, and that information to aid the safe use of a medicine, including possible side effects, is appropriately described in the authorised product information.

The MHRA’s approved patient information leaflets for the most commonly prescribed antidepressants contain warnings about sexual side effects whilst taking the drug, and for some antidepressants there is a warning about sexual side effects which may continue after stopping the medicine. These warnings are under review by an expert working group of the Commission on Human Medicines, and the findings of this review are due to report in the Autumn.

Persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) is not specifically listed as a possible side effect in the patient information leaflets for any antidepressants. PGAD remains poorly defined and requires research into several proposed causal factors.

A total of 13 reports that describe PGAD suspected to be associated with an antidepressant have been received through the Yellow Cared scheme. The reports were received between 2017 and 2025 for sertraline, with six reports, citalopram, with three reports, fluoxetine, with three reports, and reboxetine, with one report.

The MHRA continuously monitors the safety of these medicines. However, the data currently available is considered insufficient to list PGAD as a possible side effect of antidepressants. Any emerging data will be carefully considered and regulatory action taken as needed.

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 GP (a) training in and (b) awareness of (i) endometriosis and (ii) women’s health issues in general.

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

General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring that their own clinical knowledge, including on endometriosis and women’s health issues in general, remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development.

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. The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and must meet the standards set by the GMC.

The GMC has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK. The content map for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health including menstrual problems, endometriosis, menopause and urinary incontinence. This will encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK. Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for trainee GPs, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists.

In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated their guideline on endometriosis which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of fiscal pressures, including the rise in employer National Insurance contributions, on (1) workforce retention, and (2) service capability, in independent GP practices and other independent health providers.

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

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department is £22.6 billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement. The employers’ National Insurance rise was implemented in April 2025.

The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) in primary care networks (PCNs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to secure the future pipeline of GPs, with over 1,000 doctors otherwise likely to graduate into unemployment in 2024/25. Data on the number of recently qualified GPs for which PCNs are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS show that since 1 October 2024, over 2,000 GPs were recruited through the scheme. Newly qualified GPs employed under the ARRS will continue to receive support under the scheme in the coming year as part of the 2025/26 contract. A number of changes have been confirmed to increase the flexibility of the ARRS. This includes GPs and practice nurses included in the main ARRS funding pot, an uplift of the maximum reimbursable rate for GPs in the scheme, and no caps on the number of GPs that can be employed through the scheme.

We are boosting practice finances by investing an additional £1.1 billion in GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest cash increase in over a decade, and aims to support GPs to build capacity, reduce bureaucracy, and deliver more care in the community.

Primary care providers, including GPs, are valued independent contractors who provide nearly £20 billion worth of NHS services. Every year we consult with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the report by Together for Short Lives Overstretched and unfunded: the state of children's hospice funding in 2025, published on 27 June, what assessment they have made of the variation in funding for children's hospice care provided by (1) North East London Integrated Care Board, and North Central London Integrated Care Board; and what steps they are taking to reduce any disparity.

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

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between integrated care board (ICB) areas, including the North East London ICB and the North Central London ICB. This will vary depending on the demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative care and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.

The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that the future state of services reduces variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to share examples of best practice in commissioning children's palliative care with integrated care boards across England.

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

NHS England has published statutory guidance on palliative and end of life care and a service specification for children and young people. This sets out the expectations and responsibilities placed on integrated care boards (ICBs) in relation to the commissioning of children’s palliative care.

The NHS Futures platform offers ICB commissioners the opportunity to share examples of best practice amongst each other and with healthcare professionals and researchers. The NHS Futures platform also offers access to upcoming and past webinars and a clinical excellence workstream, among other resources, to support ICB commissioners and clinical staff to support outstanding clinical care based on the best available evidence.

The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much they plan to spend on palliative care in the NHS this year and in each of the next five years.

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

It is difficult to quantify the total provision of, or spend on, palliative and end of life care at either a national or local, integrated care board level, because it is delivered every day by a wide range of specialist and generalist health and care workers providing care for a wide range of needs that include, but are not always exclusive to, palliative care.

Palliative care is provided across multiple settings, including in primary care, community care, in hospitals, hospices, and care homes, and in people’s own homes. Therefore, not all palliative and end of life care will be recorded or coded as such.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.   We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to incorporate research on (a) masking and (b) internalised behaviours into (i) autism diagnostic pathways and (ii) training for healthcare professionals.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) and health professionals should have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when commissioning and providing health care services, including autism assessment services. NICE guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. In June 2024, NICE’s prioritisation board decided to prioritise updating the current NICE guidelines on autism assessment and diagnosis, namely Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management, and Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis. Both guidelines are available, respectively, at the following two links:

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

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

Although NICE has committed to updating these guidelines, this work has not yet been scheduled into NICE’s work programme.

Under the Health and Care Act 2022, providers registered with the Care Quality Commission are required to ensure their staff receive specific training on learning disability and autism, appropriate to their role. To support this, we have been rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism to the health and adult social care workforce. The first part of this training has now been completed by over three million people. Staff with responsibility for providing care, support, or healthcare, including social care and other professionals with a high degree of autonomy, are expected to complete Tier 2 of Oliver’s Training, which includes content on avoiding diagnostic overshadowing. Oliver's Training has been developed with reference to the Core Capabilities Frameworks on Learning Disability and Autism, co-produced alongside people with a learning disability and autistic people, and based on learning from the independently evaluated trials of the training in 2021. A long-term evaluation is now underway.

In addition, 5,000 trainers have been trained as part of the National Autism Trainer Programme, which covers autism presentation in women and girls. These trainers will cascade their training to teams across mental health services. NHS England has also published guidance on meeting the needs of autistic adults in mental health services, which makes specific references to the possible role of masking.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many GP practices returned more than 1000 HSA4 forms which record an abortion by medicine administered at home in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024.

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

The Department collects information on abortions via the HSA4 abortion notification form. The HSA4 form does not capture information on whether the form was returned by a general practice.

The HSA4 form does capture information on the hospital or clinic where the termination took place, and whether any medicine was administered at the patient’s usual place of residence. However, the publication of the Abortion Statistics for England and Wales from 2023 onwards has been delayed due to several operational issues. These include issues associated with moving to a new data processing system and an increase in the number of paper abortion notification forms to process. We will announce the dates of the publication of the data for 2023, and later 2024, in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many GP practices returned more than 100 HSA4 forms which record an abortion by medicine administered at home in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024.

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

The Department collects information on abortions via the HSA4 abortion notification form. The HSA4 form does not capture information on whether the form was returned by a general practice.

The HSA4 form does capture information on the hospital or clinic where the termination took place, and whether any medicine was administered at the patient’s usual place of residence. However, the publication of the Abortion Statistics for England and Wales from 2023 onwards has been delayed due to several operational issues. These include issues associated with moving to a new data processing system and an increase in the number of paper abortion notification forms to process. We will announce the dates of the publication of the data for 2023, and later 2024, in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many individuals received medicines for abortion at home via post in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024.

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

The Department collects information on abortions via the HSA4 abortion notification form. The HSA4 form does not capture information on whether abortion medicine was sent via the post, and so the Department does not hold this information.

The HSA4 form does capture whether the medicine was administered at the patient’s usual place of residence. This information is published in the Abortion Statistics for England and Wales for the years 2018 to 2022. However, publication of the abortion statistics for England and Wales from 2023 onwards has been delayed due to several operational issues. These include issues associated with moving to a new data processing system and an increase in the number of paper abortion notification forms to process. We will announce the dates of the publication of the data for 2023, and later 2024, in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 23 July (HL9674), how they determine the allocation of (1) capital and (2) revenue funding to hospices in England.

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

The £100 million capital funding allocation for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England has been calculated by the Department, informed by Hospice UK, and is based on the care expenditure of each hospice.

Some of the organisations that are eligible for this capital funding for hospices in England are national charities, providing services across the United Kingdom. Therefore, a £5 million cap per organisation, of the total £100 million, was introduced to ensure that the Department was not indirectly funding hospice capital projects elsewhere in the UK, beyond England.

This is deemed the fairest model that can release funding to the hospice sector fastest, helping hospices to fully utilise the allocated funds, and doing so in a way which results in best value for money.

Regarding revenue funding for children’s hospices, the £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26 will be disseminated by integrated care boards on behalf of NHS England. As in previous years, individual allocations of the revenue funding have been determined using a prevalence-based model, enabling allocations to reflect local population need.

This is in line with the NHS devolution and promotes a more consistent national approach, supporting commissioners in prioritising the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population.

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 the consistent availability of menopause medications.

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

There are over 70 hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products, and the vast majority are in good supply. We are aware of supply issues affecting Estradot (estradiol) patches until early October 2025. We have issued comprehensive management guidance to healthcare professionals and Serious Shortage Protocols to enable community pharmacists to supply specified alternative estradiol patches, with the patient’s consent and without needing to seek authorisation from the prescriber.

We work closely with suppliers and other stakeholders such as the National Health Service and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to maintain overall HRT supply to patients across the United Kingdom during any shortages, including working to expedite resupply dates of the disrupted HRT products to resolve issues as soon as possible and to help fill supply gaps and prevent future shortages. We have added estradiol to the list of products that cannot be exported from, or hoarded in, the UK to protect supply of this hormone replacement therapy for UK patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.

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

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s Report.

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 Thirty-Seventh Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2024-25 on Immigration: Skilled worker visas, HC 819 and pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 39615 on Care Workers: Migrant Workers, what steps he is taking to expedite publication of an evaluation of the effectiveness of regional partnerships to support (a) displaced and (b) exploited care workers into new employment.

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

The Government welcomes the Committee of Public Accounts’ report on skilled worker visas and will respond fully in due course.

The Department is providing up to £12.5 million this financial year to 15 regional partnerships to help support international care workers affected by sponsor non-compliance into alternative, ethical employment.

We have commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce to undertake an independent evaluation of the 2024/25 international recruitment regional fund. We currently expect the final report of this evaluation to be published by King's College London in January 2026.

Regional partnerships provide the Department with monthly and quarterly monitoring data regarding progress, including on the number of displaced workers who have secured new sponsored employment.

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 the abolition of NHS England on the NHS Business Services Authority.

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

Following the announcement that NHS England will be abolished as an arm’s length body, a transformation programme has been launched within the Department.

It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts. Evidence from these ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.

Discussions between officials within NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), the Department, and NHS England are ongoing concerning NHSBSA’s role and services for the health and social care system in light of the abolition of NHS England.

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

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications for additional pharmacies were declined following a pharmaceutical needs assessment that identified a lack of need in each of the last five years.

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

Decisions on applications to open a new pharmacy are delegated from NHS England to National Health Service integrated care boards, and the Department does not hold data on how many applications were rejected or the reasons for these rejections. If a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) identifies a lack of need for a new pharmacy in the area, pharmacy contractors can still apply to open a pharmacy to provide benefits to the local communities that were not foreseen in the PNA.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many days were lost to sickness absence by civil servants in their Department (a) in total and (b) on average per employee between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025.

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

Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns, is published annually, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence

The next update will be for the year ending 31 March 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of burnout among unpaid carers in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

Local authorities have duties to support unpaid carers and are required to deliver sustainable, high-quality care and support services. The Government’s Better Care Fund provides support to unpaid carers, including short breaks and respite services.

The Department regularly engages with local authorities, including Surrey County Council, on matters relating to unpaid carers and wider social care issues. According to data from NHS Digital, in 2023/24, Surrey County Council supported 760, or 19%, of unpaid carers through respite or other forms of carer support delivered to the cared-for person. We do not hold data to assess trends in the level of burnout among unpaid carers in the Surrey Heath constituency.

Independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research suggests that high intensity unpaid care is associated with an increased likelihood of poorer outcomes, including loneliness and social isolation, when compared to people who do not provide unpaid care. The severity of these outcomes differs based on factors such as age, gender, and ethnicity.

The Office for National Statistics has estimated, using the 2021 Census and adjusting for age, that the proportion of residents of the Surrey Heath Borough District providing unpaid care is slightly lower than in the Southeast region or England as a whole. This is especially true for the proportion of residents providing higher levels of unpaid care.

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 accuracy of pharmaceutical needs assessments undertaken by local health and wellbeing boards.

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

Decisions on applications to open a new pharmacy are delegated from NHS England to National Health Service integrated care boards, and the Department does not hold data on how many applications were rejected or the reasons for these rejections. If a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) identifies a lack of need for a new pharmacy in the area, pharmacy contractors can still apply to open a pharmacy to provide benefits to the local communities that were not foreseen in the PNA.

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 estimate of the proportion of firearm holders with a firearms marker on their patient records.

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

The role of general practitioners (GPs) in the firearms licensing process is set out in the Home Office’s publication Firearms licensing: statutory guidance for chief officers of police, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statutory-guidance-for-police-on-firearms-licensing

To support their role, a digital marker, SNOMED activity coding, was fully rolled out across GP IT suppliers by May 2023, giving all GPs in England access within existing GP IT systems. GPs do not need to download a separate firearms marker software.

We have not made an estimate of the proportion of firearm holders with a firearms marker on their patient records. This is because NHS England publishes an annual SNOMED report, which includes information on the number of times a relevant firearms code was added to GP patient records within the publication period. The report is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-snomed-code-usage-in-primary-care/2023-24

It should be noted that a patient could have one code added to their record multiple times throughout the year, and therefore, it is not possible to infer the number of patients with a particular code from this data. We are exploring options for how this data can be analysed to support the use of the digital marker.

This significant strengthening of the medical checks process aids GPs, or any other registered medical practitioners, in completing the application form for a person’s medical suitability for a firearms licence. The digital marker also alerts a GP if there is any concerning deterioration in a person’s health presented during the five year licence period that may impact their suitability to hold a firearms licence. GPs can now more easily alert their local police force when necessary, as the decision for who can grant and renew a firearms licence remains with the local police force.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of levels of access to respite care for unpaid carers in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

Local authorities have duties to support unpaid carers and are required to deliver sustainable, high-quality care and support services. The Government’s Better Care Fund provides support to unpaid carers, including short breaks and respite services.

The Department regularly engages with local authorities, including Surrey County Council, on matters relating to unpaid carers and wider social care issues. According to data from NHS Digital, in 2023/24, Surrey County Council supported 760, or 19%, of unpaid carers through respite or other forms of carer support delivered to the cared-for person. We do not hold data to assess trends in the level of burnout among unpaid carers in the Surrey Heath constituency.

Independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research suggests that high intensity unpaid care is associated with an increased likelihood of poorer outcomes, including loneliness and social isolation, when compared to people who do not provide unpaid care. The severity of these outcomes differs based on factors such as age, gender, and ethnicity.

The Office for National Statistics has estimated, using the 2021 Census and adjusting for age, that the proportion of residents of the Surrey Heath Borough District providing unpaid care is slightly lower than in the Southeast region or England as a whole. This is especially true for the proportion of residents providing higher levels of unpaid care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with Surrey County Council on support for unpaid carers in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

Local authorities have duties to support unpaid carers and are required to deliver sustainable, high-quality care and support services. The Government’s Better Care Fund provides support to unpaid carers, including short breaks and respite services.

The Department regularly engages with local authorities, including Surrey County Council, on matters relating to unpaid carers and wider social care issues. According to data from NHS Digital, in 2023/24, Surrey County Council supported 760, or 19%, of unpaid carers through respite or other forms of carer support delivered to the cared-for person. We do not hold data to assess trends in the level of burnout among unpaid carers in the Surrey Heath constituency.

Independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research suggests that high intensity unpaid care is associated with an increased likelihood of poorer outcomes, including loneliness and social isolation, when compared to people who do not provide unpaid care. The severity of these outcomes differs based on factors such as age, gender, and ethnicity.

The Office for National Statistics has estimated, using the 2021 Census and adjusting for age, that the proportion of residents of the Surrey Heath Borough District providing unpaid care is slightly lower than in the Southeast region or England as a whole. This is especially true for the proportion of residents providing higher levels of unpaid care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the percentage of GPs that have downloaded firearms marker software.

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

The role of general practitioners (GPs) in the firearms licensing process is set out in the Home Office’s publication Firearms licensing: statutory guidance for chief officers of police, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statutory-guidance-for-police-on-firearms-licensing

To support their role, a digital marker, SNOMED activity coding, was fully rolled out across GP IT suppliers by May 2023, giving all GPs in England access within existing GP IT systems. GPs do not need to download a separate firearms marker software.

We have not made an estimate of the proportion of firearm holders with a firearms marker on their patient records. This is because NHS England publishes an annual SNOMED report, which includes information on the number of times a relevant firearms code was added to GP patient records within the publication period. The report is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-snomed-code-usage-in-primary-care/2023-24

It should be noted that a patient could have one code added to their record multiple times throughout the year, and therefore, it is not possible to infer the number of patients with a particular code from this data. We are exploring options for how this data can be analysed to support the use of the digital marker.

This significant strengthening of the medical checks process aids GPs, or any other registered medical practitioners, in completing the application form for a person’s medical suitability for a firearms licence. The digital marker also alerts a GP if there is any concerning deterioration in a person’s health presented during the five year licence period that may impact their suitability to hold a firearms licence. GPs can now more easily alert their local police force when necessary, as the decision for who can grant and renew a firearms licence remains with the local police force.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current NHS dentist vacancy rate is in Surrey; and what steps he is taking to ensure equitable dental care access in Epsom and Ewell constituency.

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

In 2024, there was a 20% vacancy rate for NHS dentists in the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes the Epsom and Ewell constituency. We do not hold data at constituency level. More data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/dental-workforce/

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to ICBs across England. For the Epsom and Ewell constituency, this is Surrey Heartlands ICB.

We will deliver 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year, and ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025. Surrey Heartlands ICB is expected to deliver 6,585 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

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

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) his Department and (b) ICBs have issued guidance to larger GP practices with multiple sites across several ICB areas.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs), as commissioners of primary medical services, are responsible for the quality, safety, and performance of services delivered by providers within their areas. Large general practitioner (GP) practices spanning multiple commissioner areas will ordinarily hold individual contracts within each commissioning area they operate in and will therefore be held to account for the quality, safety, and performance of services by the responsible commissioner in each area.

The Department does not collect information on all guidance that is issued by ICBs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the officials working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill have been doing so only to the extent necessary to ensure that the Bill is technically and legally workable should it become law.

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

The Government is neutral on the principle of assisted dying and whether the Bill becomes law. Officials are working to fulfil the Government’s duty to the statute book, providing technical drafting support and workability advice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered introducing a ring-fenced national funding stream to support the expansion of GP surgeries in (a) high-growth and (b) underserved areas.

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

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) to ensure that the National Health Service estate is fit for purpose, in order to meet the needs of the local population.

General practices (GPs) are independent contractors, which, alongside ICBs, are responsible for ensuring their premises are up to standard. Most practice premises are privately owned or leased.

The Department and NHS England requested that ICBs develop estates infrastructure strategies. These have been developed to create a long-term plan for future estate requirements and investment for each local area and its needs. These strategies must take existing and future GP and primary care estate into account when considering how best to deliver local services. To support them in doing this, we provide an annual capital allocation, operational capital, which ICBs are free to use as they see fit, working with healthcare providers in their area including GPs, to deliver their estates and infrastructure priorities.

At a national level, we continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure all new and existing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure for the community.

In Autumn 2024, the Government announced the Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund, a nationally controlled fund which will deliver upgrades this financial year to GP surgeries across England. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care. ICBs were invited to submit funding proposals that align with local integrated care system infrastructure strategies and the Primary Care Network Estates Toolkit, prioritising high-quality, fit-for-purpose estates over poorly maintained assets.

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 (a) infrastructure, (b) better understanding of complex patients and (b) staff (i) morale and (ii) experience in the 10 Year Health Plan.

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

The 10-Year Health Plan detailed our ambition to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future through three big shifts: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

Regarding infrastructure, the plan set out our aim to establish neighbourhood health centres in every community over the course of the next 10 years, transforming healthcare access and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it most. We are also increasing health capital budgets to over £14.6 billion by the end of the Spending Review period, namely 2029/30, to invest in the NHS and wider health infrastructure, a £2.3 billion real terms increase from 2023/24 to 2029/30.

To better our understanding of patients with complex health needs, we will set a new standard that, by 2027, 95% of people with complex needs will have an agreed care plan. As outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will expect all care plans to be co-created with patients and cover their holistic needs, not just their treatment. They will align with national standards for high quality care but, within that, give patients significant choice and freedom.

As set out in the plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. We will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions. We will also work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the workplace.

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 26 June 2025 to Question 60418 on medical testing, how much of the £600 million capital spending this year on diagnostics including funding all pathology networks will be allocated to (a) Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and (b) Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board.

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

As part of the £1.65 billion for investment to improve National Health Service performance against constitutional standards in 2025/26, £600 million was allocated to diagnostics. Final allocation of this funding will be agreed via national panels upon receipt and review of business cases.

To date, the Department has approved £2,267,000 capital to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust from this overall allocation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department is working with integrated care boards to help tackle potential barriers for GP partnerships when seeking funding for (a) new premises and (b) expansion under the capital funding structure.

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

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) to ensure that the National Health Service estate is fit for purpose, in order to meet the needs of the local population.

General practices (GPs) are independent contractors, which, alongside ICBs, are responsible for ensuring their premises are up to standard. Most practice premises are privately owned or leased.

The Department and NHS England requested that ICBs develop estates infrastructure strategies. These have been developed to create a long-term plan for future estate requirements and investment for each local area and its needs. These strategies must take existing and future GP and primary care estate into account when considering how best to deliver local services. To support them in doing this, we provide an annual capital allocation, operational capital, which ICBs are free to use as they see fit, working with healthcare providers in their area including GPs, to deliver their estates and infrastructure priorities.

At a national level, we continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure all new and existing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure for the community.

In Autumn 2024, the Government announced the Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund, a nationally controlled fund which will deliver upgrades this financial year to GP surgeries across England. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care. ICBs were invited to submit funding proposals that align with local integrated care system infrastructure strategies and the Primary Care Network Estates Toolkit, prioritising high-quality, fit-for-purpose estates over poorly maintained assets.

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 the funding model administered by integrated care boards supports (a) long-term infrastructure planning for primary care and (b) the timely development of new GP practices.

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

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) to ensure that the National Health Service estate is fit for purpose, in order to meet the needs of the local population.

General practices (GPs) are independent contractors, which, alongside ICBs, are responsible for ensuring their premises are up to standard. Most practice premises are privately owned or leased.

The Department and NHS England requested that ICBs develop estates infrastructure strategies. These have been developed to create a long-term plan for future estate requirements and investment for each local area and its needs. These strategies must take existing and future GP and primary care estate into account when considering how best to deliver local services. To support them in doing this, we provide an annual capital allocation, operational capital, which ICBs are free to use as they see fit, working with healthcare providers in their area including GPs, to deliver their estates and infrastructure priorities.

At a national level, we continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure all new and existing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure for the community.

In Autumn 2024, the Government announced the Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund, a nationally controlled fund which will deliver upgrades this financial year to GP surgeries across England. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care. ICBs were invited to submit funding proposals that align with local integrated care system infrastructure strategies and the Primary Care Network Estates Toolkit, prioritising high-quality, fit-for-purpose estates over poorly maintained assets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that integrated care boards systematically collect and monitor prevalence and service data for (1) allergies, and (2) other long-term health conditions, to support effective commissioning and delivery of neighbourhood care.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for undertaking health needs assessments, including any data collection, to understand the health and wellbeing needs of their local populations, including identifying inequalities and planning services accordingly. NHS England has issued guidance to ICBs on developing an intelligence function to ensure locally tailored, evidence-based decisions are made that address health inequalities and support personalised, population-focused care planning.

The 10 Year Health Plan shifts care from hospitals into communities, with neighbourhood health services led by multidisciplinary teams offering preventative and personalised support closer to where people live with increased access to services and information for people with allergies and long-term health conditions.

The plan also commits expanding the use of digital technology. By 2035, two thirds of outpatient care will take place digitally or in the community closer to home, with patients, including those with allergies and long-term conditions, able to access the best of their local hospital in a much more responsive way at home via their phones.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much money from the Frontline Digitisation programme was allocated to the NHS App in the financial year 2024–25.

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

NHS England’s Frontline Digitisation programme was introduced in 2021 to support healthcare organisations to transition from paper-based to digital systems for patient information, clinical notes and access to data.

Its aim is to reach a core level of digitisation following minimum digital foundations, where the health service and the people who use it have digital services and access to the data that they need to effectively manage and improve health and wellbeing. NHS England is providing £2 billion to National Health Service trusts through to 2025/26 to ensure trusts meet a core level of digitisation and have electronic patient records in place.

Found: address the mental health crisis amongst further education students, Baroness Smith of Malvern 174 DHSC

Found: DSIT, Office for Life Sciences, and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Oral Evidence

Found: In the short term, the industry is being asked to pay back to the Department of Health and Social Care

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what research they have undertaken into the integration of food, farming and nature into national curriculums in other Council of Europe member states, to inform good practice in England.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Food education is covered across design and technology, biology, geography and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) in the national curriculum. It requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. The national curriculum framework provides teachers with freedom and flexibility to decide how best to cover curriculum subjects so topics such as farming and sustainability can be taught. Additional resources are available for teachers from the National Education Nature Park and Oak National Academy.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review has gathered a broad range of evidence through a call for evidence that was open to all, both domestically and internationally. The Review is carefully considering recommendations for all subjects in the national curriculum, and the final report, due in autumn 2025, will set out its conclusions and recommendations for government.

The ‘Good Food Cycle’, launched in July 2025, sets out the government’s vision for a 21st century UK food system, with ten priority outcomes including healthy and more affordable food, good growth and sustainable and resilient supply. Through this strategy, we are collaborating across government on good food education. The Ministerial Food Strategy Group, convened by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, includes Ministers from across government, including the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care. The group provides political leadership and alignment with the Plan for Change and government missions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to bring together educators, health professionals, farmers, campaigners, and sustainability experts to better integrate farming, food, and nature into education.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Food education is covered across design and technology, biology, geography and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) in the national curriculum. It requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. The national curriculum framework provides teachers with freedom and flexibility to decide how best to cover curriculum subjects so topics such as farming and sustainability can be taught. Additional resources are available for teachers from the National Education Nature Park and Oak National Academy.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review has gathered a broad range of evidence through a call for evidence that was open to all, both domestically and internationally. The Review is carefully considering recommendations for all subjects in the national curriculum, and the final report, due in autumn 2025, will set out its conclusions and recommendations for government.

The ‘Good Food Cycle’, launched in July 2025, sets out the government’s vision for a 21st century UK food system, with ten priority outcomes including healthy and more affordable food, good growth and sustainable and resilient supply. Through this strategy, we are collaborating across government on good food education. The Ministerial Food Strategy Group, convened by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, includes Ministers from across government, including the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care. The group provides political leadership and alignment with the Plan for Change and government missions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve coordination between the Department for Education, Department for Health and Social Care, and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with regard to food, farming and sustainability education in England.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Food education is covered across design and technology, biology, geography and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) in the national curriculum. It requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. The national curriculum framework provides teachers with freedom and flexibility to decide how best to cover curriculum subjects so topics such as farming and sustainability can be taught. Additional resources are available for teachers from the National Education Nature Park and Oak National Academy.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review has gathered a broad range of evidence through a call for evidence that was open to all, both domestically and internationally. The Review is carefully considering recommendations for all subjects in the national curriculum, and the final report, due in autumn 2025, will set out its conclusions and recommendations for government.

The ‘Good Food Cycle’, launched in July 2025, sets out the government’s vision for a 21st century UK food system, with ten priority outcomes including healthy and more affordable food, good growth and sustainable and resilient supply. Through this strategy, we are collaborating across government on good food education. The Ministerial Food Strategy Group, convened by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, includes Ministers from across government, including the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care. The group provides political leadership and alignment with the Plan for Change and government missions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to include food, farming and sustainability as a core part of the school curriculum in England.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Food education is covered across design and technology, biology, geography and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) in the national curriculum. It requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. The national curriculum framework provides teachers with freedom and flexibility to decide how best to cover curriculum subjects so topics such as farming and sustainability can be taught. Additional resources are available for teachers from the National Education Nature Park and Oak National Academy.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review has gathered a broad range of evidence through a call for evidence that was open to all, both domestically and internationally. The Review is carefully considering recommendations for all subjects in the national curriculum, and the final report, due in autumn 2025, will set out its conclusions and recommendations for government.

The ‘Good Food Cycle’, launched in July 2025, sets out the government’s vision for a 21st century UK food system, with ten priority outcomes including healthy and more affordable food, good growth and sustainable and resilient supply. Through this strategy, we are collaborating across government on good food education. The Ministerial Food Strategy Group, convened by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, includes Ministers from across government, including the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care. The group provides political leadership and alignment with the Plan for Change and government missions.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the collection and publication of national data on drowning incidents, including demographic information, to inform targeted prevention policies.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Lord Kamall

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

22 September 2025

Dear Lord Kamall,

As Acting National Statistician, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what steps are being taken to improve the collection and publication of national data on drowning incidents, including demographic information, to inform targeted prevention policies (HL10639).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces mortality statistics using information provided on death certificates. The ONS codes cause of death using the International Cause of Death (ICD-10). The ICD-10 codes for accidental drowning and submersion are W65 to W74.

The ONS publishes statistics on mortality by specific cause each year, in our Deaths

registered summary statistics [1]. Numbers of deaths for 2024 were published on 20 May 2025, and age-standardised mortality rates will be published on 9 October 2025. Table 3 in that publication presents deaths by specific causes, including accidental drowning and submersion, by sex and five-year age bands. Those published 2024 figures by age and sex are summarised with wider age bands in the table below.

The ONS is currently exploring methods to improve the timeliness of our mortality statistics. We launched a consultation earlier this year asking users about the value of reporting death occurrences rather than registrations for suicide statistics [2], and the same questions are being considered for wider mortality outputs too. This includes assessing the accuracy of “nowcasting”: estimating the number of recent death occurrences, by cause, using factors such as the number registered in the past week and trends in registration delays for that cause.

Death certification reform was also implemented in September 2024 [3], which included adding an ethnicity field to the death certificate for the first time in England and Wales. This aims to improve future reporting of deaths by ethnicity and will enable us to produce further demographic breakdowns in future.

Yours sincerely,

Emma Rourke

Table 1: Number of deaths registered by sex, age group and ONS short list of cause of death code, 2024, England and Wales

Notes:

1. Figures are for deaths registered rather than deaths occurred. For more information see our Impact of registration delays publication [4].

2. Figures include non-residents.

3. Based on underlying cause of death.

4. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) short list for cause of death is based on a standard tabulation list developed by the ONS, in consultation with the Department of Health (now the Department of Health and Social Care, DHSC). For more information about the codes included, see our User guide to mortality statistics [5].

5. Figures for deaths aged under 1 year exclude deaths under 28 days, which are registered with separate neonatal death certificate from which it is not possible to assign an underlying cause of death. For more information see the childhood mortality section of our User guide to mortality statistics.

[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/d eathsregisteredsummarystatisticsenglandandwales

[2]https://consultations.ons.gov.uk/external-affairs/user-requirements-for-official-suicide-statistics/

[3]https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/death-certification-reform-and-the-introduction-ofmedical-examiners

[4]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/im pactofregistrationdelaysonmortalitystatisticsinenglandandwales/latest

[5]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/methodolo gies/userguidetomortalitystatisticsjuly2017#ons-short-list-of-cause-of-death

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on tackling racial disparities in maternity care in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Officials in the Office for Equality and Opportunity and the Department of Health and Social Care are working collaboratively to tackle this issue.

The government is clear there is a need to reform maternity and neonatal care to tackle the systemic issues that entrench inequalities and contribute to poor care for women and babies. This is why a key area of focus for the National Maternity Investigation will be addressing the devastating inequalities that women from Black, Asian and deprived backgrounds face.

On 28 August the Office for Equality and Opportunity published research into the drivers of confidence in maternal care services in England to gain evidence from ethnic minority women on their experiences of using maternal care services. This can be found on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/confidence-in-maternity-care-services-engagement-with-ethnic-minority-women-and-maternity-staff

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on updating the Women’s Health Strategy in response to the publication of the 10-Year NHS Plan for England.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Ministers for Women and Equalities work closely with colleagues from DHSC on a number of areas to improve women’s health, as we put women’s equality at the heart of our missions.

Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are delivering our manifesto commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected, and we set out how the NHS will meet the health needs of women. This includes turning the commitments in the existing Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan and setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that women's health is included in the Government's approach to prevention across the NHS.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Ministers for Women and Equalities work closely with colleagues from DHSC on a number of areas to improve women’s health, as we put women’s equality at the heart of our missions.

Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are delivering our manifesto commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected, and we set out how the NHS will meet the health needs of women. This includes turning the commitments in the existing Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan and setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on increasing the women's healthcare workforce to ensure services can meet rising demand and deliver the NHS 10-Year Plan.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Ministers for Women and Equalities work closely with colleagues from DHSC on a number of areas to improve women’s health, as we put women’s equality at the heart of our missions.

Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are delivering our manifesto commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected, and we set out how the NHS will meet the health needs of women. This includes turning the commitments in the existing Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan and setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on reducing waiting times for gynaecology services.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Ministers for Women and Equalities work closely with colleagues from DHSC on a number of areas to improve women’s health, as we put women’s equality at the heart of our missions.

Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are delivering our manifesto commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected, and we set out how the NHS will meet the health needs of women. This includes turning the commitments in the existing Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan and setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will provide a breakdown of Government spending on advertising via social media platforms broken down by Department, over the last 12 months.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As with any media planning approach, channels are selected based on their ability to engage with relevant audiences in alignment with the government's strategic objectives.

The Cabinet Office is consistently tracking and reviewing spending on communications to ensure efficiency and that the appropriate strategy is implemented. We will not spend more than is needed to be effective and ensure best value for the taxpayer.

Please see the breakdown below of spend on social media broken down by department between 1st August 2024 and 31st July 2025.

Please note that this may not be the complete spend as the Cabinet Office does not centrally manage Departmental social media spend directly.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of people leaving the labour market due to long-term sickness.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched last November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.

Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell.

It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the DWP and DHSC Joint Work & Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025.

In our March Green Paper, we set out our Pathways to Work Guarantee, backed by £1 billion a year of new additional funding by 2030. We will build towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits.

The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated our intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. The Plan sets out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for disabled people. Furthermore, it outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

Found: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs • Department for Energy Security and Net Zero • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Department of Health and Social Care (excl. agencies) 650 1645 1715 60 [c] [c] [c] 4075

Found: against unhealthy out of home advertising by producing a toolkit to share best practice� Working with DHSC

Found: the Secretaries of States’ roles who oversee statutory safeguarding partners: the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: (DHSC) on the social care sector.

Found: (DHSC) on the social care sector.

Found: This is in addition to investment in WorkWell, a joint pilot by DWP and DHSC that is transforming how

Found: Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland acting through the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: provider of procurement services, NHS Supply Chain is committed to working with the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. 

Found: Get Vaccinated’ campaign, developed by the Department of Health and Social Care, with UKHSA and NHS England

Found: Background Jess’s Rule is an initiative overseen by NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.  

Found: Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care campaign - ‘Stay Strong.

Found: Framework agreement between DHSC and NHS Blood and Transplant

Found: Health Plan CCA Civil Contingencies Act CHA Cold-Health Alert COBR Cabinet Office Briefing Room DHSC

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: In July 2025, the Department for Transport and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced

Found: This initiative is led by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England and is supported

Found: combination for untreated multiple myeloma when a stem cell transplant is unsuitable The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Pharmacy Association • UK Myeloma Society • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Pharmacy Association • UK Myeloma Society • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Skin Group Cochrane UK College of Paramedics Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Department of Health and Social Care

Found: 2024 now requires ethnicity to be recorded as part of the death certificate process (Department of Health and Social Care

Found: DHSC produced guidance for manufacturers and retailers to comply with the law that is similarly applied

Found: Decision-making but decision maker department Lower case except when in the title: the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: DHSC has allocated £685m of dedicated funding within local NHS capital budgets for mitigation and remediation

Found: www.samh.org.uk/get-involved/ physical-activity-and-sport/our-projects/the-changing-room 263 UK Department of Health and Social Care