Beccy Cooper

The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the structural inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups, including those experiencing homelessness.

We recognise the importance of reducing barriers to healthcare services for those experiencing homelessness. This is why we supported the development and implementation of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, code NG214, which provides recommendations on ways to improve access to, and engagement with, health and social care services for people experiencing homelessness. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng214

The Department has recently published a progressive 10-Year Health Plan. We are committed to reducing the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest, an ambitious commitment that shows that the Government is serious about tackling health inequalities and addressing the social determinants of health.

Strong, resilient health systems are essential for the delivery of the United Kingdom’s wider global health objectives of strengthening global health security, including tackling the threat of anti-microbial resistance and the spread of disease, and ending the preventable deaths of new-borns and children. The UK thus recognises the need to support developing countries with their health workforce.

Since 2022, the Department has committed £20 million in Official Development Assistance funding to the Global Health Workforce Programme. The programme aims to support the development of the health workforce in six African countries and regions, aiding them to build stronger, resilient health systems for health security and to make progress towards universal health coverage. It is aligned to the World Health Organization’s Working for Health Action Plan 2022-2030.

The Department’s Global Health Workforce Programme will conclude at the end of this financial year on the completion of its current grant. However, the UK will continue to support Global Health and Global Health Security including through key health multilaterals such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the World Health Organization. We also support the development of a global workforce for health security preparedness through technical assistance offered by the International Health Regulations Strengthening Programme, and in outbreak response through the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team.

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:

The 10-Year Health Plan will set out broader actions for how we shift the health and care systems in England towards preventing ill-health rather than treating sickness. Through the 10-Year Health Plan we want to take action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers and ensure that the National Health Service uses its relationship with patients to help patients improve and protect their own health.

We are already taking action, for instance enabling a smoke free generation through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and continuing the rollout of the NHS Health Check. We will build on the success of our vaccination and screening programmes and work with communities to understand what is preventing uptake.

The design of places where people live, work, and play have a significant role in shaping physical and mental health and wellbeing. Departmental minsters meet with Government colleagues to discuss cross-Government efforts to improve the public’s health, including the impact of the local built and natural environment on health. For example, ministers at the Department of Health and Social Care have met with ministers at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to specifically discuss the relationship between health, towns and planning.

The 2025/26 budget for smoking cessation campaigns has not yet been confirmed.

If children and young people do need to be admitted to inpatient services for mental health treatment, they should be accommodated in an environment that is suitable for their age. In some instances, clinically urgent situations will sometimes necessitate children and young people being placed on wards that are not specialised for children and young people’s mental health services, or away from their home and family. In these situations, patient safety, the least restrictive environment, and clinical need remains paramount.

The model of provision of National Health Service funded inpatient treatment for children and young people is being re-designed to support the move to community-based provision, where children and young people are able to access appropriate support in a timely, effective, and patient-centred way, close to home and in the least restrictive environment.

This transition is being supported by the introduction of provider collaboratives to support place-based commissioning and to develop local services that meet the needs of their communities. Options may include increased day provision, and the new model will see a change to how inpatient environments are best utilised.

Obesity robs our kids of the best possible start in life, and is particularly concentrated in the most deprived areas.

Supporting people to stay healthier for longer is at the heart of our Health Mission. We face a childhood obesity crisis and this government is taking action.

We have acted to end the targeting of junk food ads at children. We’ve also given local authorities stronger powers to block applications for unhealthy takeaways near schools to put children first.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report. The report sets out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, including proposals for a financial scheme and for the establishment of a valproate specialist unit. The Government will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s Report at the earliest opportunity.

There are two distinct types of the mpox virus: clade I and clade II. The previous significant outbreak in the United Kingdom in 2022 was from clade II. Clade I is currently classified as a high consequence infectious disease. The risk to the UK population remains low. We expect to see the occasional imported case of Clade Ib mpox in the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to closely monitor mpox epidemiology and has well established surveillance systems to monitor the spread of mpox. This is supported by a robust contact tracing process that helps us to effectively contain any imported cases found in the UK.

The latest information about UK cases of mpox is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-detects-first-case-of-clade-ib-mpox

A full summary of the measures UKHSA is taking is summarised in the technical briefing, which is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66e83b367f20ecc7ec3aa1db/mpox-technical-briefing-9.pdf

This briefing will be reviewed and updated as more is understood about the disease.

UKHSA is engaged with international partners, including the World Health Organisation, European, US and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, ensuring we receive updates about international cases in a timely fashion.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

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

From 2007/8 until 2023/24, children and young people’s hospices received funding via the Children’s Hospice Grant. While 2023/24 marked the final year of the Children’s Hospice Grant in its previous format, in 2024/25, NHS England provided £25 million of funding for children and young people’s hospices, maintaining the level of funding from 2023/24. For the first time, this funding was distributed to hospices by ICBs, on behalf of NHS England, rather than being centrally administered as before. Since 2022/23, individual allocations of this funding have been determined using a prevalence-based model, enabling allocations to reflect local population need.

The Government is committed to tackling the workforce crisis across the National Health Service. This will be achieved through better workforce planning, which will address the recruitment and retention challenges facing the NHS.

NHS England continues to lead on a range of initiatives to boost retention, with a strong focus on improving organisational culture, supporting staff wellbeing, and promoting flexible working opportunities. It is continually reviewing the effectiveness of these, and their impact on the workforce.

No specific estimate of the future numbers of doctors and anaesthetists preparing to leave the profession has been made. The General Medical Council publishes annual information on the total number of doctors leaving their register of licenced professionals. This shows that in 2022, 11,319 doctors left the licenced register, the equivalent to 4% of the register. No information is available for anaesthetists specifically.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. We have committed to getting back to the NHS Constitutional standard that at least 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment within our first term. As a first step to achieving this, we will deliver 2 million additional appointments, scans, and operations, or the equivalent to 40,000 per week.

Whilst no formal assessment has been made of the specific potential impact of anaesthetic workforce shortages on the National Health Service’s ability to tackle the backlog, the Government will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills, to deliver the care patients need.

NHS staff have been overworked for years, with staff being burnt out and demoralised.

We are committed to training the staff we need, including anaesthetists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.

We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

There is no quick fix, but through the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan we will build a health service fit for the future.

NHS staff have been overworked for years, with staff being burnt out and demoralised.

We are committed to training the staff we need, including anaesthetists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.

We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

There is no quick fix, but through the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan we will build a health service fit for the future.