Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has made to ensure sufficient NHS staffing and resources during the 2025–26 flu season.

Decisions about recruitment and resourcing are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care. We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the NHS over the winter months, providing additional support as needed.

The Department is continuing to take key steps to ensure the health service is prepared throughout the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on accident and emergency departments, increasing vaccination rates and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care board and trust winter plans to ensure they are able to meet demand and ensure patient flow.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.