Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
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 trends in the level of excess deaths as a consequence of extreme heat, in the week commencing 22 June 2026.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
An assessment of mortality associated with the extreme heat episode in the week commencing 22 June 2026 is not yet available. The UK Health Security Agency expects to publish a Heat Mortality Bulletin shortly, which will provide an initial estimate of heat-associated mortality during the May and June 2026 heat episodes. Final estimates will be published in the 2026 Heat Mortality Monitoring Report in early 2027.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many critical incidents were declared by NHS trusts as a consequence of extreme heat, in the week commencing 22 June 2026.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
In the week commencing 22 June 2026, 13 critical incidents were declared by National Health Service trusts and reported to NHS England related to extreme heat. The reporting organisations are as follows: East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust; Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; London Ambulance Service NHS Trust; Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Foundation Trust; North Bristol NHS Trust; Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust; Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust; South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust; South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust; South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust; Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust; and University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a comparative assessment of risks from extreme weather events to GP practices in (a) general, (b) deprived areas and (c) rural areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The provision and maintenance of premises are typically the responsibility of general practice (GP) partners, who are either owner-occupiers or tenants of their surgery buildings. GP owner-occupiers are responsible for all maintenance and repair of their property. For GPs that rent their premises, their lease agreement sets out who is responsible for maintenance.
GP premises improvement works can be National Health Service funded, from NHS England or the commissioner, funded by developer contributions, or self-funded by the practice. Often works are funded by a combination of these options. Under the Premises Costs Directions, which are directions to NHS England from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the improvement of practice premises can be covered by premises improvement grants, subject to commissioner decision and affordability.
A cross-Government collaboration, which includes the NHS and the Department, produces an annual Adverse Weather and Health Plan that incorporates heatwave preparedness measures. Services are expected to be prepared for periods of hot weather from 1 June to mid-September each year. No comparative assessment of the risks has been made across GPs in the country.
Looking forward, NHS England's design and performance specification for Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) is clear that NHCs will be designed to be resilient to the impacts of climate change, including flooding and overheating. The specification states that centres should assess and mitigate flood risk and address overheating through appropriate building design and, where necessary, cooling measures to support safe care delivery. The specification is available at the following link:
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
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 resilience of GP practice estates to extreme weather events, including flooding, heatwaves and storms.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The provision and maintenance of premises are typically the responsibility of general practice (GP) partners, who are either owner-occupiers or tenants of their surgery buildings. GP owner-occupiers are responsible for all maintenance and repair of their property. For GPs that rent their premises, their lease agreement sets out who is responsible for maintenance.
GP premises improvement works can be National Health Service funded, from NHS England or the commissioner, funded by developer contributions, or self-funded by the practice. Often works are funded by a combination of these options. Under the Premises Costs Directions, which are directions to NHS England from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the improvement of practice premises can be covered by premises improvement grants, subject to commissioner decision and affordability.
A cross-Government collaboration, which includes the NHS and the Department, produces an annual Adverse Weather and Health Plan that incorporates heatwave preparedness measures. Services are expected to be prepared for periods of hot weather from 1 June to mid-September each year. No comparative assessment of the risks has been made across GPs in the country.
Looking forward, NHS England's design and performance specification for Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) is clear that NHCs will be designed to be resilient to the impacts of climate change, including flooding and overheating. The specification states that centres should assess and mitigate flood risk and address overheating through appropriate building design and, where necessary, cooling measures to support safe care delivery. The specification is available at the following link:
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to GP practices on adapting estates to extreme weather events.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The provision and maintenance of premises are typically the responsibility of general practice (GP) partners, who are either owner-occupiers or tenants of their surgery buildings. GP owner-occupiers are responsible for all maintenance and repair of their property. For GPs that rent their premises, their lease agreement sets out who is responsible for maintenance.
GP premises improvement works can be National Health Service funded, from NHS England or the commissioner, funded by developer contributions, or self-funded by the practice. Often works are funded by a combination of these options. Under the Premises Costs Directions, which are directions to NHS England from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the improvement of practice premises can be covered by premises improvement grants, subject to commissioner decision and affordability.
A cross-Government collaboration, which includes the NHS and the Department, produces an annual Adverse Weather and Health Plan that incorporates heatwave preparedness measures. Services are expected to be prepared for periods of hot weather from 1 June to mid-September each year. No comparative assessment of the risks has been made across GPs in the country.
Looking forward, NHS England's design and performance specification for Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) is clear that NHCs will be designed to be resilient to the impacts of climate change, including flooding and overheating. The specification states that centres should assess and mitigate flood risk and address overheating through appropriate building design and, where necessary, cooling measures to support safe care delivery. The specification is available at the following link:
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role integrated care systems play in ensuring GP estate resilience to climate-related risks.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The provision and maintenance of premises are typically the responsibility of general practice (GP) partners, who are either owner-occupiers or tenants of their surgery buildings. GP owner-occupiers are responsible for all maintenance and repair of their property. For GPs that rent their premises, their lease agreement sets out who is responsible for maintenance.
GP premises improvement works can be National Health Service funded, from NHS England or the commissioner, funded by developer contributions, or self-funded by the practice. Often works are funded by a combination of these options. Under the Premises Costs Directions, which are directions to NHS England from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the improvement of practice premises can be covered by premises improvement grants, subject to commissioner decision and affordability.
A cross-Government collaboration, which includes the NHS and the Department, produces an annual Adverse Weather and Health Plan that incorporates heatwave preparedness measures. Services are expected to be prepared for periods of hot weather from 1 June to mid-September each year. No comparative assessment of the risks has been made across GPs in the country.
Looking forward, NHS England's design and performance specification for Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) is clear that NHCs will be designed to be resilient to the impacts of climate change, including flooding and overheating. The specification states that centres should assess and mitigate flood risk and address overheating through appropriate building design and, where necessary, cooling measures to support safe care delivery. The specification is available at the following link:
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether new neighbourhood health centres will be required to incorporate climate resilience measures, including flood protection and cooling systems.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England's design and performance specification for neighbourhood health centres (NHCs) is clear that NHCs will be designed to be resilient to the impacts of climate change, including flooding and overheating. The specification states that centres should assess and mitigate flood risk and address overheating through appropriate building design and, where necessary, cooling measures to support safe care delivery. The specification is available at the following link:
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether some integrated care boards are capping neurodevelopmental assessments without informing GPs or patients.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for planning and commissioning services to meet the needs of their local populations, including making decisions about how best to manage demand and capacity within available resources. There is guidance for the use and implementation of the contractual levers available to ICBs, detailed in the NHS Standard Contract Technical Guidance. Use of these must not restrict patients’ choice for provider.
Where an ICB has taken a decision to pause or manage activity within a Right to Choose pathway, it is for that ICB to determine and apply any local prioritisation criteria, taking account of clinical need and patient safety. It is the responsibility of the local system to decide whether to publish criteria, and to ensure that patients, families and the public are communicated with clearly and provided with appropriate information.
NHS England provides guidance and oversight to ICBs to support them in meeting their statutory duties, including in relation to patient choice. The Government is committed to patients having the right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their first appointment as an outpatient. Patients’ Right to Choose is set out in legislation and no changes are being made to this legal right. Further information on the choices available for patients is available on the NHS Choice framework at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-choice-framework
In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/
This guidance intends to help the National Health Service to improve autism assessment services and to improve the experience for those referred to a service.
The Medium Term Planning Framework, published 24 October 2025, was explicit that ICBs and providers are expected to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing existing and new guidance, as published.
In December 2025, the Government launched an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities. The final report is due to be published in the summer.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
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 protect vulnerable groups during periods of extreme heat.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) carries out communication activity with the Met Office to ensure health systems and the public are aware of periods of hot weather, the risks of heat on health and what action they should take.
UKHSA delivers the Adverse Weather and Health Plan and Weather-Health Alerting System, which provides alerts for the public and public sector organisations to prepare for impacts of adverse weather including heat. More information about the plan and system is available at the following two links respectively:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adverse-weather-and-health-plan
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/weather-health-alerting-system
Risks to health are communicated via Heat-Health Alerts. Amber and Red alert to the greatest risk to health of vulnerable people. They include enhanced communications to support partner organisations and the public to take action to minimise health harms and to look out for the vulnerable. Heat-Health guidance and checklists are available for both health and social care professionals and the public.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of savings to NHS services in Norfolk from VCSE sector programmes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a central estimate of the level of savings to National Health Services in Norfolk specifically arising from programmes delivered by the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.
VCSE organisations play an important role in supporting prevention, early intervention, and community-based care, which can help improve outcomes for patients and reduce pressure on statutory services.