Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) Remedial Service Statements and (b) Remedial Pensions Saving Statements remain outstanding.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority, which administers the NHS Pension Scheme on behalf of my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has confirmed that, as of 23 April 2026, there are 429,451 Remedial Service Statements and 20,185 Remedial Pension Savings Statements outstanding.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when does he plan to publish updated deadlines for the delivery of (a) Remedial Service Statements and (b) Remedial Pension Saving Statements.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the importance of providing NHS Pension Scheme members certainty about when they will receive their Remediable Service Statement. An independent review team is assessing the NHS Business Service Authority’s revised plans for the delivery of the McCloud remedy for NHS Pension Scheme members. Subject to the review team's assurance, in May 2026, we intend to issue new deadlines for Remedial Service Statements and update the House on delivery of Remedial Pension Savings Statements.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 social prescribing on supporting men with mental health issues.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of social prescribing for supporting mental health and wellbeing in men.
The Department recognises the value of social prescribing for men. The Men’s Health Strategy, launched on 19 November 2025, includes partnerships with sports organisations to support mental health and social connection.
The Department has commissioned national research into different workstreams for social prescribing. This includes evaluation of the impact of activities such as nature-based interventions for people with mental ill-health.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what statutory and third party bodies are members of the Men's Health Strategy Stakeholder Group.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Men’s Health Stakeholder Group is an advisory group that provides advice to the Department on the implementation of the Men’s Health Strategy. It reports to the Men’s Health Project Board. The project board coordinates delivery across the Department and works with other relevant Government departments that are responsible for actions in the strategy. The project board reports to the Minister responsible for men’s health.
Information relating to the Men’s Health Stakeholder Group, including membership and meeting minutes, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/mens-health-strategy-governance
The Department is closely engaged with the work of the Deputy Prime Minister, who is leading a cross-Government agenda on improving outcomes for men and boys. The Deputy Prime Minister is convening departments and partners to deliver coordinated action, focusing on three core themes: education and employment; health and wellbeing; and masculinities and connection. The Deputy Prime Minister recently chaired the first Inter-Ministerial Group on this issue, to which the Department of Health and Social Care heavily contributed and a minister attended.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether minutes were taken for the discussions of the Men's Health Strategy Stakeholder Group.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Men’s Health Stakeholder Group is an advisory group that provides advice to the Department on the implementation of the Men’s Health Strategy. It reports to the Men’s Health Project Board. The project board coordinates delivery across the Department and works with other relevant Government departments that are responsible for actions in the strategy. The project board reports to the Minister responsible for men’s health.
Information relating to the Men’s Health Stakeholder Group, including membership and meeting minutes, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/mens-health-strategy-governance
The Department is closely engaged with the work of the Deputy Prime Minister, who is leading a cross-Government agenda on improving outcomes for men and boys. The Deputy Prime Minister is convening departments and partners to deliver coordinated action, focusing on three core themes: education and employment; health and wellbeing; and masculinities and connection. The Deputy Prime Minister recently chaired the first Inter-Ministerial Group on this issue, to which the Department of Health and Social Care heavily contributed and a minister attended.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 Cabinet colleagues on the (a) Ministry of Justice, (b) Department for Education and (c) Government Equalities Office including in their workstreams into the work of the Men's Health Strategy Stakeholder Group.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Men’s Health Stakeholder Group is an advisory group that provides advice to the Department on the implementation of the Men’s Health Strategy. It reports to the Men’s Health Project Board. The project board coordinates delivery across the Department and works with other relevant Government departments that are responsible for actions in the strategy. The project board reports to the Minister responsible for men’s health.
Information relating to the Men’s Health Stakeholder Group, including membership and meeting minutes, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/mens-health-strategy-governance
The Department is closely engaged with the work of the Deputy Prime Minister, who is leading a cross-Government agenda on improving outcomes for men and boys. The Deputy Prime Minister is convening departments and partners to deliver coordinated action, focusing on three core themes: education and employment; health and wellbeing; and masculinities and connection. The Deputy Prime Minister recently chaired the first Inter-Ministerial Group on this issue, to which the Department of Health and Social Care heavily contributed and a minister attended.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 Mens Health Strategy Stakeholder Group to monitor the implementation of the Mens Health Strategy.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Men’s Health Stakeholder Group is an advisory group that provides advice to the Department on the implementation of the Men’s Health Strategy. It reports to the Men’s Health Project Board. The project board coordinates delivery across the Department and works with other relevant Government departments that are responsible for actions in the strategy. The project board reports to the Minister responsible for men’s health.
Information relating to the Men’s Health Stakeholder Group, including membership and meeting minutes, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/mens-health-strategy-governance
The Department is closely engaged with the work of the Deputy Prime Minister, who is leading a cross-Government agenda on improving outcomes for men and boys. The Deputy Prime Minister is convening departments and partners to deliver coordinated action, focusing on three core themes: education and employment; health and wellbeing; and masculinities and connection. The Deputy Prime Minister recently chaired the first Inter-Ministerial Group on this issue, to which the Department of Health and Social Care heavily contributed and a minister attended.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) NHS England and (b) integrated care boards on the potential impact of the adequacy of physical therapy services on patients' cognitive ability.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Department officials hold regular discussions with NHS England on how integrated care boards are commissioning and delivering community health services, which includes physical therapy.
Access to sufficient, high-quality physical therapy is important in supporting patients’ physical function and overall wellbeing. Appropriate, individualised therapy can help to improve mobility, manage pain, and support participation in day-to-day activities. These outcomes may also contribute to maintaining independence and promoting engagement in activity, which can be beneficial for cognitive health and wider quality of life.
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. The plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 110068, when the reprioritisation exercise is due to complete.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The reprioritisation exercise is ongoing. In the meantime, the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is currently focused on delivering Remediable Pension Savings Statements (RPSS) for members in scope of the McCloud remedy, with about 21,000 cases still pending.
Pension Savings Statements (PSS) for the 2024/25 tax year have been issued for cases that could be handled automatically which resulted in roughly 14,000 successful statements.
The NHSBSA is providing the Pensions Regulator with monthly updates on the provision of RPSS’ and PSS’ due to the delays. The NHSBSA also holds regular meetings with the Pensions Regulator on McCloud remedy progress.
If a member requires an urgent PSS they can contact the NHSBSA directly via the member helpline.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 119478 on General Practitioners: Contracts, how he defines ‘avoiding’ in the context of avoiding 1.3 million patients being added to a waiting list.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Advice and Guidance (A&G) is a pre‑referral service used to enable general practitioners (GPs) and hospital specialists, including consultants, to work together to make the best care plans for patients, ensuring patients receive care in the most appropriate setting. A&G requests are distinct from hospital referrals, whereby a patient is added onto a waiting list. A&G does not take away a GP’s right to refer, which remains a matter of clinical judgement.
“Avoiding” being added to a waiting list reflects when, following an A&G request, a patient is deemed not to require a secondary care referral at that time. Without A&G, these patients might otherwise have had to wait for an unnecessary appointment and instead are expected to receive more timely care with earlier specialist input. In these cases, the GP may still subsequently refer their patient at any point if they have concerns.
Between April 2025 and December 2025, there were nearly 16 million referrals for Referral to Treatment services. For the same period there were over 1.2 million pre-referral A&G requests directed to treatment that is not a secondary care referral at that time, or 45.9% of total A&G requests, and this figure has been updated to reflect the latest data.
Additionally, the National Director for Primary Care and Community Services set out further information here:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/letter-specialist-advice-elective-single-point-of-access/