Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of developing a National GP Retention Strategy backed by ring-fenced funding.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has committed to increasing the number of general practitioners (GPs), and this includes doing more to address GP retention and the reasons why GPs leave the profession. The 10-Year Health Plan, which will be published in spring 2025, will set out a long-term vision to train and retain the staff the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future. The plan will be shaped by responses from the public, NHS staff, and experts to the biggest national conversation about the future of the NHS since its birth, launched by the Department and NHS England in October.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 5.149 of Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, how long discounts on the Right to Buy scheme will be reduced for.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The discount levels in question will remain in place until further notice.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Premier League clubs on gambling sponsorship on their websites.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

All major sporting bodies, including the Premier League, have published their gambling sponsorship Codes of Conduct, setting minimum standards for socially responsible gambling sponsorships. As part of the Code of Conduct, clubs must ensure that no gambling sponsor logos or other promotional materials relating to gambling sponsorship appear on sections of their website which are designed to be viewed and used specifically by children. The Premier League’s decision to ban front-of-shirt sponsorship by gambling firms will also commence by the end of the 2025/26 season.

The Department will closely monitor the implementation of the Codes to ensure they have a meaningful impact.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to publish updated (a) life expectancy and (b) healthy life expectancy statistics for (i) electoral wards and (ii) middle layer super output areas.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 11th November is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the number of medical speciality training places (a) in total and (b) in anaesthesia.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of anaesthetists.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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.

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 potential impact of anaesthetic workforce shortages on the NHS’s ability to tackle the elective backlog.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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.

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 percentage of (a) doctors and (b) anaesthetists preparing to leave the profession; and what steps he is taking to improve retention.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Layla Moran (Chair); Danny Beales; Ben Coleman; Dr Beccy Cooper;

Submit Evidence (by 4 Feb 2025)

The Committee is undertaking an inquiry into community mental health services. The inquiry will examine what good looks like from the perspective of service users and their families/carers. The Committee would like the inquiry to shine a light on case studies of innovative practice and high-quality care across the country, and to undertake meaningful and impactful engagement with people accessing these services.