Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure the process by which doctors declare neurodivergence or learning disabilities is robust and cannot be subject to abuse.

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

National Health Service trusts hold information on the Electronic Staff Record system, the human resource system for the NHS, on an employee’s protected characteristics, including disabilities. Individuals and organisations have a responsibility to ensure entries are accurate and organisations are encouraged to monitor trends in their data to better ensure the health and well-being of their employees.

Any allegations of dishonesty would be considered to be a conduct issue and investigated in accordance with the employer's disciplinary policy and procedures.

Local employers across the NHS have arrangements in place to support staff with disabilities, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on healthy working environments.

Employers have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to consider and make reasonable adjustments for employees who have a disability, taking advice from their local occupational health and human resources department. This includes removing or reducing any substantial disadvantages that employees with a disability may face compared to someone who does not have a disability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what internal or professional disciplinary procedures may be invoked by an NHS Trust in the case of a resident doctor who has been found to have dishonestly claimed to be neurodivergent or have learning disabilities.

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

National Health Service organisations, as independent employers, have their own internal grievance and disciplinary procedures which should comply with employment law and relevant Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service codes and guidance. Any allegations of dishonesty would be considered to be a conduct issue and investigated in accordance with the employer’s disciplinary policy and procedures.

Maintaining High Professional Standards provides a national framework for the handling of concerns about doctors and dentists in the NHS. NHS trusts may also report any concerns about doctors to the General Medical Council.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent increase in the number of resident doctors who say they are neurodivergent or have learning disabilities.

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

There has been no assessment made of the increase in the number of resident doctors who are neurodivergent or have learning disabilities.

The General Medical Council has published the number of doctors who have declared learning disabilities in their GMC Workforce Report. However, the data is not broken down to specifically show resident doctors. In 2024, just over 6,000 licensed doctors recorded their disability as a ‘learning disability’.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter from Baroness Merron to Lord Kamall on 19 February (DEP2026-0132), by what date they expect to conclude negotiations with the British Medical Association resident doctors committee about helping doctors with the up-front cost of their training.

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

The Government remains committed to working constructively with trade unions and improving the working conditions for all our hardworking National Health Service staff. Since 8 January 2026, the Government has been engaging in intensive and constructive discussions with the British Medical Association’s Resident Doctors Committee, exploring various measures aimed at improving the working lives of resident doctors.

Given the nature of negotiations, we cannot at this time provide a specific date by which we expect talks to have concluded. We hope that these talks result in an agreement that works for everyone and avoids further unnecessary disruption for patients and NHS staff.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the General Medical Council about improving the specificity of data points collected about the reasons that doctors (1) relinquish their licence to practice, and (2) leave the professional register, to better mitigate the causes of doctors leaving the profession.

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

The Department regularly discusses the data collections the General Medical Council (GMC) undertakes with the GMC. However, the Department has had no discussions with the GMC on changing data collection relating to the reasons for doctors choosing to relinquish their licence or leave the professional register.

The GMC is independent of the Government, directly accountable to Parliament, and responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.

Found: Tweed • Baroness Scott of Needham Market • Baroness Smith of Basildon Also in attendance: • Earl Howe

Found: Letter from Baroness Merron to Earl Howe regarding amendment 581A - whether additional specific guidance