Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential merits of including individuals on spouse visas who have the right to work and contribute to the NHS among the priority groups for NHS specialty training offers.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 13 January 2026. The bill delivers the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, published in July 2025, 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.
For specialty training places starting in 2026, NHS experience is being represented by immigration status as people with a settled immigration status are more likely to have worked in the NHS for longer. For specialty training posts starting from 2027 onwards, this provision will not apply automatically. Instead, it will be possible to make regulations to specify additional groups who will be prioritised, where they are likely to have significant experience working as a doctor either in the NHS in England, Scotland, or Wales, or in health and social care in Northern Ireland, or by reference to their immigration status.
Individuals on spouse visas are not included in the prioritised group for specialty training posts starting in 2026, because it is not a good indicator of likely NHS experience. The Department of Health and Social Care worked closely with the Home Office on the development of the bill.
Applicants on spouse visas will still be able to apply and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have received offers.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England will take to ensure Integrated Care Boards comply with Regulation 6(4) of the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013, particularly where chemist premises are removed following a consolidation application, but no Supplementary Statement is publicly published to confirm that the relevant Health and Wellbeing Board is satisfied that no gap in service provision was created.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
If two pharmacies are consolidated onto one site, the relevant Local Authority Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) must publish a supplementary statement to their Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment if, in their view, the consolidation has not created a gap in service provision. This requirement is set out in Regulation 6(4) of the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013. Whilst it is not the responsibility of NHS England to ensure HWBs comply with this requirement, integrated care boards (ICBs) must seek assurance that a closure of a pharmacy would not create a gap when considering consolidation applications. This includes seeking the view of the HWB. Any representations received from the HWB are considered when reviewing an application from a contractor to open a pharmacy in the area. NHS England oversees the performance of ICBs through the NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26 and the Strategic Commissioning Framework.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of economic factors and the consumption of ultra-processed foods on the prevalence of diet-related illnesses and mental health conditions, and what steps are being taken to address these upstream determinants of public health.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) considered the evidence on the impact of processing on health, including mental health, in 2023 and 2025. The SACN concluded that the observed associations between higher consumption of processed and ultra processed foods and adverse health outcomes are concerning. The SACN noted that studies to date appear to inconsistently account for important factors such as socioeconomic status.
The SACN recommend that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and which are low in fibre. These recommendations align with existing policies for supporting healthier diets and advice to consumers. The SACN will keep the topic of food processing and health under review.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ 2024 report on Food Insecurity also considered inequalities in access to a healthy sustainable diet. Data from the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey report shows that participants in higher income households, and households in less deprived areas, were closer to meeting some dietary recommendations. However, where diets failed to meet recommendations, this was consistent across the range of income and deprivation.
The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to develop their cross-Government Food Strategy, which aims to improve affordability and access to healthier food, to help both adults and children live longer, healthier lives.
Earlier this year, the Government committed to reviewing the School Food Standards to reflect the most recent Government dietary recommendations. Free school meals will also be extended to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026.
Healthy Start provides funding to pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households to support a healthier diet. In April 2026, the value of weekly payments will increase by 10%.
The Department is working closely with the Child Poverty Taskforce to develop and deliver an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
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 ensure seamless patient care for communities living on county boundaries, such as those between Somerset and Devon; and if he will take steps to (a) ensure interoperability of clinical records between NHS trusts and (b) issue guidance to Integrated Care Boards to prevent treatment restrictions based on administrative boundaries.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government's 10-Year Health Plan includes the objective of delivering a single patient record. This will allow staff, wherever they deliver care, to access the key information they need, from all of an individual’s medical records. Mandatory information standards, which all providers have to follow, will ensure the interoperability of systems within the National Health Service.
NHS England’s Who Pays? guidance sets out a framework for establishing which NHS organisation has responsibility for commissioning an individual’s care and which has responsibility for paying for that care. It came into effect from 1 August 2025 and can be found at the following link:
The Strategic Commissioning Framework for integrated care boards (ICBs) seeks to ensure that ICBs take a consistent approach to commissioning services, to secure the best outcomes for their population. It can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/strategic-commissioning-framework/
ICBs are responsible for undertaking health needs assessments to understand the health and wellbeing needs of their local population, including identifying inequalities and planning services accordingly.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of health and social care staff will be unable to renew their visas as a result of the new salary threshold for Health and Care visas (a) nationally and (b) among those employed by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions with My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department on a range of subjects, including immigration policy.
From 9 April 2025, the minimum salary for Health and Care Worker Visa holders increased to £25,000 per year. This applies to new Certificates of Sponsorship assigned on or after that date. No specific assessment has been made on the impact of this change on the delivery of National Health Service and social care services in Somerset and other rural areas.
Entry level NHS Agenda for Change band 3 roles do not meet the new minimum salary threshold for a Health and Care Worker visa. However, Agenda for Change NHS pay band 3 staff currently on the Health and Care Worker visa are not required to meet the new minimum salary threshold until the point at which they need to renew their visa. At this point, we expect the majority of staff to have accrued two or more years’ experience and therefore be at the top of pay band 3, which is above the new minimum salary threshold.
Information on the number of health and social care staff who are unable to renew their visas as a result of the new minimum salary threshold for the Health and Care worker visa is not collected centrally.
Whilst we hugely value our international workforce and the skills and experience they bring, we are also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our NHS. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, thereby enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.
International recruitment has also played a valuable role in helping grow the adult social care (ASC) workforce and has given the health and care sectors the benefit of the skill and commitment of overseas workers who wish to work in the UK. However, it is the Government’s policy to reduce reliance on international recruitment in ASC and improve domestic recruitment and retention.
The Department monitors ASC workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool, and intelligence from key sector partners.
We will also use annual estimates of demographics within the ASC workforce from Skills for Care to monitor trends in the number of posts within the sector which are filled by British nationals, supplemented by additional intelligence.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
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 the proposed increase in the Health and Care Worker visa salary threshold on the delivery of (a) NHS and (b) social care services in (i) Somerset and (ii) other rural areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions with My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department on a range of subjects, including immigration policy.
From 9 April 2025, the minimum salary for Health and Care Worker Visa holders increased to £25,000 per year. This applies to new Certificates of Sponsorship assigned on or after that date. No specific assessment has been made on the impact of this change on the delivery of National Health Service and social care services in Somerset and other rural areas.
Entry level NHS Agenda for Change band 3 roles do not meet the new minimum salary threshold for a Health and Care Worker visa. However, Agenda for Change NHS pay band 3 staff currently on the Health and Care Worker visa are not required to meet the new minimum salary threshold until the point at which they need to renew their visa. At this point, we expect the majority of staff to have accrued two or more years’ experience and therefore be at the top of pay band 3, which is above the new minimum salary threshold.
Information on the number of health and social care staff who are unable to renew their visas as a result of the new minimum salary threshold for the Health and Care worker visa is not collected centrally.
Whilst we hugely value our international workforce and the skills and experience they bring, we are also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our NHS. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, thereby enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.
International recruitment has also played a valuable role in helping grow the adult social care (ASC) workforce and has given the health and care sectors the benefit of the skill and commitment of overseas workers who wish to work in the UK. However, it is the Government’s policy to reduce reliance on international recruitment in ASC and improve domestic recruitment and retention.
The Department monitors ASC workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool, and intelligence from key sector partners.
We will also use annual estimates of demographics within the ASC workforce from Skills for Care to monitor trends in the number of posts within the sector which are filled by British nationals, supplemented by additional intelligence.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on ensuring that the new Health and Care Worker visa salary threshold does not undermine NHS workforce planning.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions with My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department on a range of subjects, including immigration policy.
From 9 April 2025, the minimum salary for Health and Care Worker Visa holders increased to £25,000 per year. This applies to new Certificates of Sponsorship assigned on or after that date. No specific assessment has been made on the impact of this change on the delivery of National Health Service and social care services in Somerset and other rural areas.
Entry level NHS Agenda for Change band 3 roles do not meet the new minimum salary threshold for a Health and Care Worker visa. However, Agenda for Change NHS pay band 3 staff currently on the Health and Care Worker visa are not required to meet the new minimum salary threshold until the point at which they need to renew their visa. At this point, we expect the majority of staff to have accrued two or more years’ experience and therefore be at the top of pay band 3, which is above the new minimum salary threshold.
Information on the number of health and social care staff who are unable to renew their visas as a result of the new minimum salary threshold for the Health and Care worker visa is not collected centrally.
Whilst we hugely value our international workforce and the skills and experience they bring, we are also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our NHS. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, thereby enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.
International recruitment has also played a valuable role in helping grow the adult social care (ASC) workforce and has given the health and care sectors the benefit of the skill and commitment of overseas workers who wish to work in the UK. However, it is the Government’s policy to reduce reliance on international recruitment in ASC and improve domestic recruitment and retention.
The Department monitors ASC workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool, and intelligence from key sector partners.
We will also use annual estimates of demographics within the ASC workforce from Skills for Care to monitor trends in the number of posts within the sector which are filled by British nationals, supplemented by additional intelligence.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the 2,000 GPs recruited through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme have been recruited in Taunton and Wellington constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data for July 2025 shows that since October 2024, 2,097 newly qualified general practitioners have been recruited through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, nine of which were recruited in the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board, in which the Taunton and Wellington constituency is located. The data is not available at constituency level.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many overheating incidents have been logged in Musgrove Park Hospital in each of the last five years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of overheating incidents logged at Musgrove Park Hospital, from 2019/20 to 2023/24:
Year | Overheating incidents |
2023/24 | 20 |
2022/23 | 15 |
2021/22 | 9 |
2020/21 | Data not collected |
2019/20 | Data not collected |
Source: Estates Returns Information Collection, from January 2025.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
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 ensure that lung health is prioritised in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the county.
More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help people manage their conditions, prevent deterioration and improve survival rates.