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, whether the decrease in the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance contributions announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget applies to (a) NHS England, (b) Health Education England, (c) NHS Digital, (d) NHS Improvement, (e) Health Research Authority, (f) Human Tissue Authority, (g) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (h) NHS Business Services Authority, (i) NHS Counter Fraud Authority, (j) NHS Blood and Transplant, (k) NHS Resolution, (l) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (m) UK Health Security Agency, (n) Care Quality Commission and (o) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The increase in employer National Insurance contributions (ENICs) and decrease in the lower earnings limit applies to all the employers listed. The Government will publish the ENICs allocations to reimburse public sector employers alongside departmental budgets for 2025/26 at Mains estimates. This will be published as a supplementary table, with a brief description of the methodology used to accompany it.
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, whether the increase in employer National Insurance contributions announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget applies to (a) NHS England, (b) Health Education England, (c) NHS Digital, (d) NHS Improvement, (e) Health Research Authority, (f) Human Tissue Authority, (g) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (h) NHS Business Services Authority, (i) NHS Counter Fraud Authority, (j) NHS Blood and Transplant, (k) NHS Resolution, (l) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (m) UK Health Security Agency, (n) Care Quality Commission and (o) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The increase in employer National Insurance contributions (ENICs) and decrease in the lower earnings limit applies to all the employers listed. The Government will publish the ENICs allocations to reimburse public sector employers alongside departmental budgets for 2025/26 at Mains estimates. This will be published as a supplementary table, with a brief description of the methodology used to accompany it.
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, on what date he received the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration report on resident doctors pay.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department received the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration’s report on 29 April 2025. The report contains findings and recommendations from the independent pay review body on resident doctor’s pay for 2025/26.
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, how many patients received support from the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service in each month since May 2023.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England does not hold this information. Over its lifetime, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme has supported over 219,000 people.
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, how many people are employed by (a) NHS England, (b) Health Education England, (c) NHS Digital, (d) NHS Improvement, (e) Health Research Authority, (f) Human Tissue Authority, (g) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (h) NHS Business Services Authority, (i) NHS Counter Fraud Authority, (j) NHS Blood and Transplant, (k) NHS Resolution, (l) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (m) UK Health Security Agency, (n) Care Quality Commission and (o) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the period for which the latest data is available.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Several of the bodies mentioned in the question no longer exist. Health Education England, NHS Digital, and NHS Improvement have all been merged into NHS England in recent years. With regards the remaining bodies, the latest published figures on headcount and full time equivalent employees can be found on GOV.UK website, at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dhsc-workforce-management-information#2025
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 impact assessment for the Medical Devices and Blood Safety and Quality (Fees Amendment) Regulations 2025, published on 25 February 2025, whether the calculations used to estimate MHRA future costs included an estimated amount to take into account the (a) rise in employer national insurance contributions and (b) lowering of the lower earnings limit for employers national contributions, as announced in the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is subject to the increase in employer National Insurance contributions announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget. For their current fees uplift, the MHRA modelled their future costs, using historic volumes, to ensure that the uplift will deliver cost recovery until April 2027. If there are any shortfalls, the MHRA will find efficiency savings to appropriately manage them.
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, how many patients received support from the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service in each quarter since January 2023.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England does not hold this information. Over its lifetime, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme has supported over 219,000 people.
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 Urgent Question on the NHS Volunteer and Care service on 19 May 2025, when he plans to launch the new volunteer portal.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since relaunching the programme in September 2022, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders (NHSVCR) programme has 48,078 registered volunteers who have completed their identification check, in order to be able to carry out tasks.
The NHS Volunteer recruitment portal is already available, with 70 health and care organisations advertising opportunities. As the service grows, every National Health Service or voluntary organisation in health will be able to post opportunities and recruit volunteers to support their local communities, with a full launch of the service planned later this year.
The NHSVCR programme is just one part of an ecosystem of volunteering that supports people’s health and care needs, and there are many local voluntary sector organisations that provide other forms of support. Most patients were referred into the programme by a health professional for short-term support through the NHSVCR programme. Referrers have been informed of the change in service provided so that they can source alternative support for their patients if needed. In addition, there are over 72,000 volunteers who continue to support NHS trusts directly in over 300 different volunteer roles.
The Government will continue to work with colleagues in NHS England during the closure of the programme to mitigate risks to national health volunteer resilience. The NHSVCR programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response, and was then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the important contribution of our much-valued volunteers. Whilst the NHSVCR programme is ending, volunteers are being redirected to other NHS and voluntary sector organisations to continue their volunteering and to support their local communities in similar ways.
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 steps he plans to take to ensure that patients receive adequate support following the closure of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since relaunching the programme in September 2022, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders (NHSVCR) programme has 48,078 registered volunteers who have completed their identification check, in order to be able to carry out tasks.
The NHS Volunteer recruitment portal is already available, with 70 health and care organisations advertising opportunities. As the service grows, every National Health Service or voluntary organisation in health will be able to post opportunities and recruit volunteers to support their local communities, with a full launch of the service planned later this year.
The NHSVCR programme is just one part of an ecosystem of volunteering that supports people’s health and care needs, and there are many local voluntary sector organisations that provide other forms of support. Most patients were referred into the programme by a health professional for short-term support through the NHSVCR programme. Referrers have been informed of the change in service provided so that they can source alternative support for their patients if needed. In addition, there are over 72,000 volunteers who continue to support NHS trusts directly in over 300 different volunteer roles.
The Government will continue to work with colleagues in NHS England during the closure of the programme to mitigate risks to national health volunteer resilience. The NHSVCR programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response, and was then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the important contribution of our much-valued volunteers. Whilst the NHSVCR programme is ending, volunteers are being redirected to other NHS and voluntary sector organisations to continue their volunteering and to support their local communities in similar ways.
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, whether his Department has produced an impact assessment on the closure of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since relaunching the programme in September 2022, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders (NHSVCR) programme has 48,078 registered volunteers who have completed their identification check, in order to be able to carry out tasks.
The NHS Volunteer recruitment portal is already available, with 70 health and care organisations advertising opportunities. As the service grows, every National Health Service or voluntary organisation in health will be able to post opportunities and recruit volunteers to support their local communities, with a full launch of the service planned later this year.
The NHSVCR programme is just one part of an ecosystem of volunteering that supports people’s health and care needs, and there are many local voluntary sector organisations that provide other forms of support. Most patients were referred into the programme by a health professional for short-term support through the NHSVCR programme. Referrers have been informed of the change in service provided so that they can source alternative support for their patients if needed. In addition, there are over 72,000 volunteers who continue to support NHS trusts directly in over 300 different volunteer roles.
The Government will continue to work with colleagues in NHS England during the closure of the programme to mitigate risks to national health volunteer resilience. The NHSVCR programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response, and was then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the important contribution of our much-valued volunteers. Whilst the NHSVCR programme is ending, volunteers are being redirected to other NHS and voluntary sector organisations to continue their volunteering and to support their local communities in similar ways.