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 much was spent on primary care NHS dental services net of patient charge revenue in (a) cash and (b) real terms in each financial year since 2010-11.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The table attached shows the total spend on primary care National Health Service dental services net of patient charge revenue in cash and real terms in each financial year since 2010/11. Data for 2024/25 is not published yet.
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, with reference to his Department's document entitled Dentistry Cost Survey published on 13 May 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of incorporating the results of the cost of dental services survey into (a) reform of the NHS dental contract and (b) trends in the level of funding for dentistry.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is conducting a research project to better understand the costs and pressures associated with running a dental practice in England. The aim is to support ambitions on dental reform by ensuring that the Government has an objective and accurate understanding to inform policy development. It will also improve understanding around the sustainability of the current system. As part of this research, a survey was launched on 13 May 2025 and closed 16 June 2025. We are currently reviewing and analysing the responses to understand the findings.
The results of the Dentistry Cost Survey will enhance the information and data we currently have to inform and support effective future policy measures, including dental reform.
The Government’s ambition is to deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.
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 proportion of the additional NHS revenue funding allocated in the Spending Review will go to NHS dentistry.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The details of budget allocations within departments are still being determined. The Department of Health and Social Care is working to provide the detail and certainty needed on future funding and spending plans, including for National Health Service dentistry.
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 proportion of eligible families were in receipt of Healthy Start in Waveney Valley constituency on 9 June 2025.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/
The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start and does not currently hold data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start. The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The table below shows the number of people on the digital scheme in the relevant local authorities as of 23 May 2025:
Local authority | Number of people on the digital scheme |
Blackpool | 1,434 |
City of Bristol | 2,778 |
County of Herefordshire | 736 |
Southampton | 1,677 |
Worthing | 348 |
Brighton and Hove | 1,041 |
East Suffolk | 1,129 |
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 notice general dental practice contract holders will receive on changes to the new patient premium; and what the Government's policy is on notifying contract holders of changes to their contractual arrangements.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Any changes made to the New Patient Premium will require directions from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. If any changes are agreed, contract holders will be notified by integrated care boards via NHS England.
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 plans to extend the New Patient Premium scheme.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has no plans to extend the New Patient Premium scheme. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
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 ensure that (a) hospitals and (b) other publicly owned healthcare settings are compliant with the UK Health Security Agency guidance entitled Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace, updated on 10 June 2022.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008: Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Infections, NHS England health and social care providers are required to implement measures that protect patients, residents, and staff while providing assurance to trust boards regarding infection risks and outcomes. This obligation extends to the application of national pathogen-specific guidance, including the UK Health Security Agency’s Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace, which is available at the following link:
The Code of practice outlines 10 criteria used to assess how registered providers meet regulatory requirements for infection prevention and control, including cleanliness.
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 progress he has made on outlining the clinical scope of the (a) role and (b) duties undertaken by (i) physician and (ii) anaesthesia associates.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 20 November 2024, the Government announced that it had commissioned an independent review of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs), led by Professor Gillian Leng CBE. The review will consider the safety of the roles, and their contribution to multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
As set out in the published Terms of Reference, the review will be an end-to-end review of the PA and AA professions, covering selection and recruitment, training, day to day work, scope of practice, oversight, supervision, and professional regulation. The review will report in spring 2025.
NHS England has issued guidance on the deployment of PAs and AAs in the National Health Service, which describes the expectations of how organisations providing NHS care should deploy them, so that they can contribute to the delivery of safe and effective healthcare in a supportive environment. This guidance remains in place whilst the review is ongoing, and is available at the following link:
In the meantime, regulation with the General Medical Council has begun, and will help to ensure patient safety and professional accountability.
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 legal costs associated with the case between the General Medical Council (GMC) and Anaesthetists United, regarding regulation of Physician and Anaesthesia Associates will be paid for by the Department of Health and Social Care or any other public body.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is funding the General Medical Council (GMC) to undertake the work required to introduce regulations for Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs), to avoid doctors paying for this through their registrant fees.
A longstanding principle underpinning the introduction of statutory regulation for new professions is that all related-costs, including legal challenges to that work, should be funded by the Government, to avoid other professions cross-subsidising the work involved.
Once regulation of AAs and PAs becomes self-funding, the Government will cease funding the GMC.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 901299 on Long Covid: Health Services, what strategies he recently discussed with stakeholders to stimulate further research into treatments for long covid.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
On 17 October 2024, I co-chaired a roundtable of researchers and people with lived experience to discuss long COVID research. I highlighted the importance of research in supporting this community, as well as recognising the significant burden of disease. We also discussed next steps for long COVID research, including supporting implementation science and knowledge mobilisation to ensure results translate into policy and practice, supporting researchers and industry partners to deliver intervention studies for new and repurposed treatments, capitalising on synergies with research on other post-viral syndromes, and ensuring long COVID researchers are supported to apply for further funding.