Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has met with the Chief Executive of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing to discuss the potential impact of gaps in community nursing services on levels of patient safety.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We welcome the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing’s (QICN’s) continued engagement in informing planning and solutions to address capacity gaps, following our 10 Year Workforce Plan call for evidence. The Minister of State for Health is planning to meet the QICN.
The Government recognises the essential role of district nurses and wider community nursing teams in delivering high-quality care closer to home, preventing avoidable hospital admissions, and supporting people to live well in their communities. We are committed to strengthening the community nursing workforce and ensuring services are equipped to meet rising demand and increasing clinical complexity.
The Government is working with NHS England and professional organisations, including the QICN and the Royal College of Nursing, as we implement the ambition of the 10-year plan to deliver more care outside hospital and build neighbourhood teams. The 10 Year Workforce Plan and the Professional Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery will set out how we will build the multi-professional teams we need to deliver that ambition and ensure we have the workforce with the right skills to meet population need.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many bonus payments were made to community pharmacies under the Pharmacy First scheme for reaching (a) 20-29 and (b) 30 or more clinical pathway consultations in (i) April, (ii) May and (iii) June 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels.
From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three months to one. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and will increase the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments.
This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England, as part of negotiations for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for 2025/26. An article was published in May 2025 by NHS Business Services Authority providing advanced notice.
For the clinical pathway element of the Pharmacy First service, 241,340 consultations were delivered in April, 242,077 consultations were delivered in May, and 254,692 consultations were delivered in June. In April, 3,996 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment, in May 3,979 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment, and in June 4,051 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment while 1,565 contractors received the £500 fixed payment.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
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 lowering the drug tariff claim window on the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First bonus payments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels.
From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three months to one. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and will increase the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments.
This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England, as part of negotiations for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for 2025/26. An article was published in May 2025 by NHS Business Services Authority providing advanced notice.
For the clinical pathway element of the Pharmacy First service, 241,340 consultations were delivered in April, 242,077 consultations were delivered in May, and 254,692 consultations were delivered in June. In April, 3,996 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment, in May 3,979 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment, and in June 4,051 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment while 1,565 contractors received the £500 fixed payment.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish an impact assessment for the decision to change the payment claim window for Pharmacy First services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels.
From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three months to one. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and will increase the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments.
This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England, as part of negotiations for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for 2025/26. An article was published in May 2025 by NHS Business Services Authority providing advanced notice.
For the clinical pathway element of the Pharmacy First service, 241,340 consultations were delivered in April, 242,077 consultations were delivered in May, and 254,692 consultations were delivered in June. In April, 3,996 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment, in May 3,979 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment, and in June 4,051 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment while 1,565 contractors received the £500 fixed payment.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Pharmacy First consultations were recorded for (a) April, (b) May and (c) June 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels.
From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three months to one. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and will increase the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments.
This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England, as part of negotiations for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for 2025/26. An article was published in May 2025 by NHS Business Services Authority providing advanced notice.
For the clinical pathway element of the Pharmacy First service, 241,340 consultations were delivered in April, 242,077 consultations were delivered in May, and 254,692 consultations were delivered in June. In April, 3,996 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment, in May 3,979 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment, and in June 4,051 contractors received the £1000 fixed payment while 1,565 contractors received the £500 fixed payment.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
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 address the shortage of clinicians working in the prison system; and what impact the shortage of clinicians has on whether inmates receive timely medical attention.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Both the Department and NHS England recognise the impact that clinical staff shortages can have on the timeliness of prisoners receiving medical attention.
NHS England’s national health and justice inclusive workforce programme was created to improve the recruitment and retention of a larger, more diverse, inclusive, and representative workforce for all health and justice services and programmes. It provides a wide range of resources to support the regions and providers to increase recruitment and improve retention, as well as various initiatives to address some of the barriers to employment in prison healthcare. Further information is available at the following link:
NHS England’s nursing directorate is also undertaking work around nurse perceptions, which is targeted at the future workforce, 11 to 18 year olds, and which includes prison nurses.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
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 (a) stop and (b) reverse the decline in the numbers of district nurses in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the essential role of district nurses and wider community nursing teams in delivering high-quality care closer to home, preventing avoidable hospital admissions, and supporting people to live well in their communities. We are committed to strengthening the community nursing workforce and ensuring services are equipped to meet rising demand and increasing clinical complexity.
NHS England supports the development of future district nurses by funding the Specialist Practitioner Qualification either as an apprenticeship or as a full-time course at a higher education institution. The Level 7 District Nursing Specialist Practice Qualification, including the apprenticeship route, provides a sustainable and nationally consistent route into district nursing roles.
Alongside this, NHS England has continued to modernise career pathways within community nursing, supporting clear progression from healthcare support worker roles through to advanced and consultant practice. This is helping to retain experienced staff and create attractive, long-term careers in community settings.
We are also improving workforce planning through the Community Nursing Safer Staffing Tool. This evidence-based tool supports providers to assess and plan safe and responsive staffing levels, ensuring district nursing teams are resourced appropriately for the needs of their local population.
The Government is working with NHS England and professional organisations, including the Queen’s Nursing Institute of Community Nursing and the Royal College of Nursing, as we implement the ambition of the 10-Year Health plan to deliver more care outside hospital and build Neighbourhood Teams.
This includes developing principles to help organisations identify, record, and address care and population needs. We are also supporting systems to expand multidisciplinary neighbourhood teams, recognising that contemporary care is delivered by a blend of registered nurses, specialist district nurses, healthcare support workers, allied health professionals, and advanced practitioners. This approach helps manage demand, improves continuity of care, and ensures that people receive the right expertise at the right time.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
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 address the shortage of community nursing services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the essential role of district nurses and wider community nursing teams in delivering high-quality care closer to home, preventing avoidable hospital admissions, and supporting people to live well in their communities. We are committed to strengthening the community nursing workforce and ensuring services are equipped to meet rising demand and increasing clinical complexity.
NHS England supports the development of future district nurses by funding the Specialist Practitioner Qualification either as an apprenticeship or as a full-time course at a higher education institution. The Level 7 District Nursing Specialist Practice Qualification, including the apprenticeship route, provides a sustainable and nationally consistent route into district nursing roles.
Alongside this, NHS England has continued to modernise career pathways within community nursing, supporting clear progression from healthcare support worker roles through to advanced and consultant practice. This is helping to retain experienced staff and create attractive, long-term careers in community settings.
We are also improving workforce planning through the Community Nursing Safer Staffing Tool. This evidence-based tool supports providers to assess and plan safe and responsive staffing levels, ensuring district nursing teams are resourced appropriately for the needs of their local population.
The Government is working with NHS England and professional organisations, including the Queen’s Nursing Institute of Community Nursing and the Royal College of Nursing, as we implement the ambition of the 10-Year Health plan to deliver more care outside hospital and build Neighbourhood Teams.
This includes developing principles to help organisations identify, record, and address care and population needs. We are also supporting systems to expand multidisciplinary neighbourhood teams, recognising that contemporary care is delivered by a blend of registered nurses, specialist district nurses, healthcare support workers, allied health professionals, and advanced practitioners. This approach helps manage demand, improves continuity of care, and ensures that people receive the right expertise at the right time.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of his Department's funding for cancer research has been allocated to (a) brain, (b) liver, (c) lung, (d) oesophageal, (e) pancreatic and (f) stomach cancer research since 2022.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invested over £133 million on cancer research for 2023/24, through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), reflecting cancer’s high priority.
The following table shows NIHR funding programme awards allocated for cancer research between April 2022 and March 2025:
Cancer type | Total Funding |
Bladder | £3.0 million |
Brain Other CNS & Intracranial Tumours | £0.6 million |
Liver | £2.6 million |
Lung | £16 million |
Oesophagus | £9.4 million |
Pancreas | £0.9 million |
Stomach | £3.3 million |
Source: NIHR
Notes: This table includes new research programme funding awards made during this period. It does not include additional studies that have had funding approved but remain in the contracting process. It does not include NIHR infrastructure support for research given this information is not currently available for all tumour types included, or ongoing spending on existing research.
The Government recognises the crucial need for research into all forms of cancer and remain committed to the role of research to improve outcomes for patients. The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including cancer.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Research on how much of the £40 million funding for brain tumour research has been spent.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Between 2018/19 and 2022/23 DHSC directly invested £11.3 million in brain tumour research projects through the NIHR, plus an estimated £31.5 million in infrastructure enabling 8,500 patients to participate in wider brain cancer research.