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, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Changes to the GP contract in 2026/27, updated on 4 March 2025, when will the exact requirements for advice and guidance be published.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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 Question 118267 answered on 13 March on General Practitioners: Contracts, who is clinically responsible for the patient while advice and guidance is being sought; and at what point does that responsibility transfer to secondary care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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 Question118267 answered on 13 March on General Practitioners: Contracts, what evidence is there to support the statement that the changes made to advice and guidance will reduce the number of unnecessary appointments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Changes to the GP contract in 2026/27, updated on 4 March 2025, at what point during the process of advice and guidance will his Department add a patient to an official NHS waiting list.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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 Question 118267 answered on 13 March on General Practitioners: Contracts, what data will be collected about advice and guidance by NHS England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Changes to the GP contract in 2026/27, updated on 4 March 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of removing the cap on online requests that can be submitted during core hours on (a) patient safety and (b) GP workload.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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 his planned timetable is for issuing Pension Savings Statements to doctors.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is currently conducting a Pension Service reprioritisation exercise. Once this process is complete, the NHSBSA will announce expected timelines for any outstanding Pension Saving Statements to be issued.
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, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Changes to the GP contract in 2026/27, updated on 4 March 2025, whether the money to fund the practice-level GP reimbursement scheme will be new funding.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following feedback from the 2026/27 GP Contract consultation, we are introducing a practice-level general practice reimbursement scheme using £292 million of repurposed funding from the current Capacity and Access Payment.
This funding will be available to practices to hire additional general practitioners (GPs) or to fund additional sessions with existing GPs to improve access in GPs. This aims to strengthen capacity, access, and improve patient satisfaction, whilst also addressing GP unemployment and underemployment. This is good value for the taxpayer and guarantees the money is spent on GPs.
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, with reference to the GP contract 2026/27, whether every non-cancer referral will need to go through Advice and Guidance.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the 2026/27 GP Contract, we are embedding the current Advice and Guidance (A&G) enhanced service funding within core practice funding. Practices will be required to use A&G prior to or in place of a planned care referral, where clinically appropriate, and to follow locally agreed referral pathways.
A&G has shown clear value in supporting timely specialist input, reducing unnecessary referrals, and ensuring patients receive timely care in the most appropriate setting.
Between April 2025 and December 2025, A&G has avoided 1.3 million patients being added to waiting lists.
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 Advice and Guidance will be mandatory for GPs to use in the context of the GP contract 2026/27.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the 2026/27 GP Contract, we are embedding the current Advice and Guidance (A&G) enhanced service funding within core practice funding. Practices will be required to use A&G prior to or in place of a planned care referral, where clinically appropriate, and to follow locally agreed referral pathways.
A&G has shown clear value in supporting timely specialist input, reducing unnecessary referrals, and ensuring patients receive timely care in the most appropriate setting.
Between April 2025 and December 2025, A&G has avoided 1.3 million patients being added to waiting lists.