Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 improve the resilience of the NHS to (a) heatwaves, (b) flooding and (c) other climate-related risks.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Climate change poses a growing risk to population health and to the National Health Service’s ability to deliver services, including through heatwaves, flooding, and other adverse weather events. Following the publication of the 2025 Health and Climate Adaptation Report, NHS England has published the NHS Climate Change Risk Assessment Tool and the Climate Adaptation Framework to support trusts in minimising climate-related risks to patients, staff, and services. The 2025 Health and Climate Adaptation Report, the NHS Climate Change Risk Assessment Tool, and the Climate Adaptation Framework are all available, respectively, at the following three links:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/health-and-climate-adaptation-reports/
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/climate-adaptation-resources/
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/climate-adaptation-resources/
In addition, all NHS trusts have Green Plans, with adaptation planning strengthened in the 2025 Green Plan Guidance, and NHS organisations are required to have effective arrangements in place for adverse weather as part of the NHS Core Standards for Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response. The 2025 Green Plan Guidance and the NHS Core Standards for Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response are available at the following two links:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/green-plan-guidance/
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if providers do not wish to engage with Palantir's FDP, what steps is he taking to ensure that they can procure alternative services.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information across the National Health Service from different systems, into a single secure environment. This integration improves care coordination, expands treatment options, and leads to enhanced clinical outcomes. The capabilities it provides to local organisations will help deliver the National Health Service of the future as part of the Government's 10-Year Health Plan for England.
To date, 24 integrated care board clusters and 168 NHS trusts have signed up to the NHS FDP, including York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. NHS England publishes quarterly information on the benefits realised from the NHS FDP at the following link:
The NHS FDP is delivering for the NHS, helping people get the care they need quicker and more efficiently. Since March 2024, more than a 100,000 additional patients have been supported to undergo procedures in theatres partly by increasing theatre utilisation, nearly 94,000 people have been supported on their cancer journey, with 7% seeing a reduction in the time it took to diagnose their cancer, and there has been a 14% decrease in delays discharging patients staying in hospital for more than seven days, freeing up beds for those who need them.
However, where NHS organisations would like to use alternative solutions, they retain the ability to procure locally, provided solutions meet applicable standards and support the delivery of national priorities. NHS England continues to support providers in ensuring that their digital estate aligns with national standards and delivers value for money for taxpayers.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are required under the Palantir Federated Data Platform contract to end the contract.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care to improve outcomes for patients.
To date, 24 integrated care board clusters and 168 NHS trusts have signed up to the NHS FDP, including York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. NHS England publishes quarterly information on the benefits realised from the NHS FDP at the following link:
The NHS FDP has allowed trusts to make better use of their operating theatres, reduce waiting times for diagnoses, including for cancer, and supported trusts to discharge people more quickly from hospital.
The NHS FDP and Associated Services contract contains clear terms and processes associated with Exit Management, as set out in Schedule 8.5 of the contract. The technical process relating to contract term and extension is set out in the published version of the contract which is available at the following link:
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/0f8a65b5-23a2-4294-abb1-a7fd8efb3ad0
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the proportion of elective surgery undertaken in the independent sector; and how this compares in numerical terms and as a percentage with each of the last 5 years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows information relating to elective episodes with procedures, which includes elective surgery alongside other procedures which may be performed elsewhere:
Operational Year | Episodes with a procedure in independent sector providers | Episodes with a procedure in NHS providers | Independent sector provider episodes with a procedure as percentage of total episodes with a procedure |
2021/22 | 609,200 | 6,850,963 | 8.2% |
2022/23 | 793,137 | 7,235,749 | 9.9% |
2023/24 | 847,417 | 7,731,835 | 9.9% |
2024/25 | 924,939 | 8,407,808 | 9.9% |
2025/26* | 834,803* | 8,251,733* | 9.2%* |
Source: NHS England
Note: Data for 2025/26 is currently provisional and may be subject to change.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 measure the productivity of integrated care boards.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information on the approach taken to the assessment of integrated care boards is available at the following links:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/nhs-oversight-framework/annual-assessment-of-integrated-care-boards-icbs/
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on the Casey Review of Social Care, and when does he expect the publication of the stage 1 report on this.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Independent Commission into Adult Social Care (“the Commission”) is making good progress. In March, Baroness Casey highlighted several issues she had identified within the adult social care system and called for immediate action in three key areas: safeguarding; dementia; and motor neurone disease. The Government is now working at pace to take her recommendations forward.
Baroness Casey's recommendations followed the Commission’s extensive engagement across the country. The Commission has actively engaged with over 400 people, including people who draw on care and their families. It held the second round of cross-party discussions this month.
The Commission will shortly launch its national conversation with the public. Baroness Casey will publish her phase 1 report, making recommendations on immediate priorities for adult social care, later this year.
The Commission is now sharing monthly updates on its progress via its newsletter, which is available at the following link:
https://caseycommission.co.uk/news/sign-up/
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when will he publish the MSF on Palliative Care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is developing a Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End of Life Care for England, with a planned publication of the full report in autumn 2026. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the last year’s published 10-Year Health Plan.
An interim update on the development of the MSF will be published shortly.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the Palliative Care MSF; and what plans he has to consult on his proposals on this.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is developing a Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End of Life Care in England. The MSF is a clinically led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvements in outcomes for patients and carers, including by reducing unwarranted variation and addressing inequalities in access, experience and outcomes. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the last year’s published 10-Year Health Plan.
We intend to publish the full MSF report in autumn 2026, with an interim update planned for publication shortly.
We are committed to continuing to work closely with stakeholders and have already engaged with a range of stakeholders, from around 70 different organisations, to inform the MSF’s development. The call for evidence for the MSF resulted in over 150 responses from stakeholders.
There will be further opportunities for stakeholders to feed in as we work through the next stages of the MSF development, details of which will be communicated via our regional NHS England teams, the NHS Alliance and the Ambitions Partnership.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 11 December 2025 to Question 95988 on Mechanical Thrombectomy: Health Services, when North East and Yorkshire region will gain 24/7 access to thrombectomy.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Regional North East NHS commissioners are in active discussion with their services and a funded programme is in place to secure 24/7 access to thrombectomy this year. Services will open as soon as safe to do so.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to issue guidance to Integrated Care Boards on commissioning speech and language therapy services for people with primary progressive aphasia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving care for everyone with dementia, which is why we have funded the work of Dementia 100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme. This brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool and will help simplify best practice. A number of experts, including those with expertise in speech and language therapy and dementia care, provided independent, desktop analysis of the tool and this invaluable feedback was integrated into the tool. The D100: Pathway Assessment Tool can be found at the following link:
We will also deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, which is expected this year. The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.
We are committed to publishing an interim product in September this year to feed into NHS and local government planning cycles, and will aim to publish the full modern service framework by the end of this calendar year as recommended by Baroness Casey.