Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Scottish Orthotic Services Review, published by NHS Scotland in 2005, and the relevance of its findings to the current commissioning and delivery of orthotic services in England.

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

No such assessment has been made. The commissioning and delivery of orthotic services are devolved matters. In England, responsibility rests with local integrated care boards and National Health Service trusts in line with the non-specialised commissioning status of orthotic services. In 2015, NHS England introduced national guidance to support more consistent and higher-quality orthotics provision.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the workforce pipeline for small and vulnerable allied health professions from the risk of university programme closures or reductions.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Education to support the availability of a diverse range of training routes into health and care careers. While the Government is committed to ensuring sustainable training pathways for small and vulnerable healthcare professions, higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability.

NHS England has a focussed programme for small and vulnerable professions, including Allied Health Professions. This programme helps maintain and strengthen training and education pathways for pre‑registration learners, including apprenticeship routes, to support a national strategic approach to placement capacity and to build awareness of healthcare careers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what oversight they exercise over the commissioning of prosthetic and orthotic services to ensure that they are appropriately funded and that investment is linked to measurable patient outcomes.

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

Prosthetics is a specialised service, with commissioning transferring to integrated care boards on 1 April 2025, ensuring service providers must adhere to the national service specification and national clinical commissioning policies. Orthotic services are locally commissioned by integrated care boards or National Health Service trusts. It is the responsibility of local employers to ensure they have the right people with the right skills to meet local population needs. The Department remains committed to working with stakeholders, including the British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics, to support service improvements and meet patient demand.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what preparations they have made to ensure there is a sufficient workforce of prosthetists and orthotists to meet the anticipated demand for prosthetic and orthotic rehabilitation in the event of a conflict situation.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care, the National Health Service, and the Ministry of Defence continue to ensure health services, including prosthetic and orthotic services, can respond effectively to meet the demands of conflict situations through regularly reviewing system-wide capacity.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s commitment to longer term workforce planning through the 10 Year Workforce Plan will also ensure that the NHS 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 what strategic workforce planning is in place to ensure that prosthetic and orthotic services are resilient to both national security demands and systemic pressures on the healthcare workforce.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care, the National Health Service, and the Ministry of Defence continue to ensure health services, including prosthetic and orthotic services, can respond effectively to meet the demands of conflict situations through regularly reviewing system-wide capacity.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s commitment to longer term workforce planning through the 10 Year Workforce Plan will also ensure that the NHS 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 what assessment they have made of the risk that university programme closures or reductions could pose to the future supply of prosthetists and orthotists; and what contingency plans are in place to sustain education and training provision for these professions.

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

As a small and vulnerable profession, course closures or reductions pose a considerable risk to the future supply of prosthetists and orthotists.

The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Education to support the availability of a diverse range of training routes into health and care careers. While the Government is committed to ensuring sustainable training pathways for the future supply of prosthetics and orthotists, higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability.

NHS England has a focussed programme for small and vulnerable professions, including prosthetics and orthotics, and has recently commissioned the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists to help maintain and strengthen training and education pathways for pre‑registration learners.