Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Health of 23 October 2025 on Impact of NHS workforce levels on cancer patients, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to publish the NHS workforce plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026.
This plan will set out action to create a workforce able to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. It is important we do this in a robust and joined up way. We are therefore engaging extensively with partners to ensure this plan delivers for staff and patients.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what forecast he has made of the cost to the public purse of the planned strike of resident doctors from 14 to 19 November 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The five-day resident doctor strike in July 2025 had an estimated cost to the National Health Service of approximately £240 million, and this is a starting estimate for the planned November strike. The costs were lower than in July 2024 as a result of lower turnout. We continue to update estimates as new data becomes available, in line with receiving business as usual financial data from NHS systems.
The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to minimise the disruption and will work with partners to ensure safe care for patients continues to be available, and emergency services continue to operate.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 2023 2023 UK surgical workforce census report compiled by the Royal College of Surgeons, what steps he is taking to expand surgical training capacity in the context of bottlenecks in posts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, set out that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need.
The plan also sets out that we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the NHS long-term workforce plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026.
This plan will set out action to create a workforce able to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. It is important we do this in a robust and joined up way. We are therefore engaging extensively with partners to ensure this plan delivers for staff and patients.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the national cancer plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan will be published in the new year. We have received over 11,000 responses to our Call for Evidence and have had significant ongoing engagement with patients, clinicians, and charities.
The plan will include further details on how we will improve the experience and outcomes for patients with cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people receiving NHS HIV care in England were born overseas.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency publishes data on the number of people who were newly diagnosed in England in 2025, which is available at the following link:
Information is not collected on residency status or nationality, and access to HIV testing, care, and treatment is free at the point of contact regardless of residency status. This is crucial to prevent mortality, morbidity, and onward HIV transmission. People who are treated for HIV and attain a suppressed viral load cannot pass on HIV to sexual partners.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Government has delayed publication of the cancer plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan is due to be published in the new year. The decision to publish the plan in the new year was taken in consultation with key stakeholders and patient groups. We have received more than 11,000 responses to our Call for Evidence and have had significant ongoing engagement with patients, clinicians, and charities. It is right to take time to ensure it is ambitious, strategic, and sustainable, setting the direction for the next 10 years. This is essential in achieving the Prime Minister's Health Mission goal to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer and to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
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 with the Secretary of State for Education of the potential merits of using geofence technology to tackle the use of vaping devices by children in schools.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is concerning that youth vaping has more than doubled in the last five years and that one in four children aged between 11 and 15 years old tried vaping in 2023. That is why we are committed to bringing about definitive and positive change to stop future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine. To do this, we are acting to reduce the appeal, availability, and accessibility of these products to children whilst not impacting on their use as a quit aid for adult smokers.
The Government’s policy, as set out in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, is that all products are age verified at the point of sale rather than the point of use.
We are examining the role of certain technology in vapes as part of our secondary legislation programme, and we are currently running a call for evidence on vapes which explores this area, and which we would encourage stakeholders to respond to. In addition, next year we will run a consultation on introducing smoke-free and vape-free places, restrictions on vape packaging, and on changing how and where vapes are displayed in shops.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
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 merits of using technology within vapes to verify the age of vape users.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is concerning that youth vaping has more than doubled in the last five years and that one in four children aged between 11 and 15 years old tried vaping in 2023. That is why we are committed to bringing about definitive and positive change to stop future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine. To do this, we are acting to reduce the appeal, availability, and accessibility of these products to children whilst not impacting on their use as a quit aid for adult smokers.
The Government’s policy, as set out in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, is that all products are age verified at the point of sale rather than the point of use.
We are examining the role of certain technology in vapes as part of our secondary legislation programme, and we are currently running a call for evidence on vapes which explores this area, and which we would encourage stakeholders to respond to. In addition, next year we will run a consultation on introducing smoke-free and vape-free places, restrictions on vape packaging, and on changing how and where vapes are displayed in shops.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
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 sexually transmitted infections on the future fertility of people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STI) such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea are a recognised cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, which can in some cases lead to tubal factor infertility.
Chlamydia is the most commonly diagnosed STI. It often has no symptoms but, if left untreated, can have serious health complications in women, including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and tubal factor infertility. It has been estimated that 0.5% of untreated chlamydia infections can lead to tubal factor infertility.
The National Chlamydia Screening Programme is a public health programme aimed at reducing the reproductive harm caused by untreated chlamydia infections. The programme involves making opportunistic offers of a chlamydia test to young women aged 15 to 24 years old without symptoms, with the primary aim of reducing the health harm caused by untreated chlamydia infection.