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 prepare for potential flu outbreaks in winter 2025-26.

We have done more than ever to prepare for winter this year with the development and better testing of winter plans. This includes surge capacity and escalation plans for urgent and emergency care.

The flu vaccination programme began on 1 September 2025 for children and pregnant women. Adults aged over 65 years old, those with long term health conditions, and frontline health and social care workers will start from 1 October 2025.

Further details of the plans for this year, including actions to reduce the effects of flu on demand for services, are set out in the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/

On 16 September, the Secretary of State addressed a gathering of Chief Executives and undertook a joint visit with the NHS England Chief Executive to set out how winter preparations were being strengthened. A further meeting with Chief Executives on 3 November also focused on winter planning.