Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with private contractors working in the NHS on trade union recognition for employees.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There have been no specific discussions on this matter. The terms and conditions in the standard National Health Service contract, used to contract with private contractors in England, recognises the need to engage with trade unions where they are present and as applicable for that contract. Otherwise, private contractors are like any other employer and need to comply with the existing rules on trade union recognition, as set out in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with private contractors working in the NHS on paying staff the same rates as equivalent NHS staff.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There have been no specific discussions on this with private contractors working in the National Health Service.
Independent organisations commissioned by the NHS in England, such as general practices or social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, including the pay scales that they use. It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether changes are planned to the provision of NHS blood, plasma, and organ donation campaigns following the appointment of WPP Media as the Government’s lead media agency.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England and organ donation services across the United Kingdom, including campaigns to promote blood and organ donation in England.
WPP media has been appointed to provide media strategy, planning, and buying services across the Government and the wider public sector. However, there are no planned changes to NHSBT’s blood, plasma, and organ donation campaigns as result of the appointment.
These campaigns will continue to be managed by NHSBT, who appoint a media agency via their own tender process. When the current term expires, NHSBT will review the agency contracts in adherence with public procurement regulations.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dentists are on the NHS register that specialise in treating children with special needs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Community dental services (CDS) are commissioned on a local basis by integrated care boards and provide care to adults and children who may have difficulty accessing high street dental services due to their social, medical, or dental needs. This may include children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
NHS England published findings from its December 2024 dental workforce data collection on 17 July 2025, including a community dental subset. Approximately 640 dentists working within CDS services in England submitted a return. However, not all CDS provision is covered by the General Dental Services contracts or Personal Dental Services agreements in scope of the data collection. Consequently, this does not constitute a full picture of staff providing CDS in the National Health Service in England.
Children and young people with SEND may not require care in CDS and some will instead be seen in high street dental practices.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of NHS Trusts terminating contracts for driving mobility assessment services, where Department for Transport grant funding does not cover the full cost of delivery, on disabled people and people with medical conditions who cannot access driving mobility assessment services when contracts are terminated; and what steps she is taking to ensure continuity of provision where such contracts end.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We take this issue very seriously and the department is committed to supporting everyone to travel safely. The Department for Transport provides grant funding to mobility centres that have been accredited by Driving Mobility in England. Where a mobility centre is closed by its provider, including where this is the NHS, we work with the wider mobility centres network and Driving Mobility to help maintain geographical coverage. Our priority remains safeguarding patient safety and continuity of assessments.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's transparency data entitled Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts: Data for July to September 2025 for all departments, published on 25 December 2025, for what reason Tackling Economic Inequality is a Key Performance Indicator for the contract entitled NHSmail Collaboration Licensing Platform that is supplied by Accenture (UK) Limited.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The inclusion of Tackling Economic Inequality as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for NHS England’s NHSmail Collaboration Licensing Platform contract reflects the Government’s Social Value Model, introduced to ensure that public procurement delivers wider economic and social benefits alongside core contractual outcomes. Further information is available at the following link:
As for every procurement, NHS England selected the most appropriate Social Value Theme from those set out in the above guidance, based on the subject matter of the contract. In this case, Tackling Economic Inequality was chosen. This theme encompasses measures that promote economic opportunity, support skills and employment, and encourage innovation and productivity across supply chains.
Each Social Value Theme in turn contains detailed Model Award Criteria, and for this contract NHS England applied:
The KPI was included to ensure those commitments are monitored transparently. This is consistent with the Government’s requirement to publish KPIs for its most important contracts, as part of strengthening accountability and transparency in public procurement.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how he is supporting public understanding of what general practice can safely deliver.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the 2025/26 GP Contract, NHS England published You and Your General Practice (YYGP) guidance. YYGP has been developed to help patients understand what to expect from their general practice (GP) and how they can get the best from their GP team. The guidance is based on the contractual requirements that all contractors providing essential GP services must meet and is intended to make patients more informed and to increase practice accountability to patients, with the aim of improving services and patient engagement.
GPs are required to provide a link on their website to the NHS England YYGP document, which can also be found on the NHS England website, at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/you-and-your-general-practice/
The guidance will remain under review and will continue to be updated to reflect changes made to GP contracts.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 ensure that continuous NHS service is recognised across (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) community care settings for the purposes of (i) redundancy pay and (ii) employment protections.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department understands the significance of recognising continuous service across different parts of the health system. Sections 12 and 16 of the National Health Service terms and conditions of service (Agenda for Change) handbook establish redundancy entitlements and employment protections for staff directly employed on Agenda for Change contracts in England, as well as employees whose contracts refer to Section 16. These arrangements are collectively agreed with NHS trade unions.
Employers such as general practices within primary care operate as independent entities rather than NHS employers. Nevertheless, employers retain discretion to consider non-NHS service when calculating redundancy benefits, where this experience is relevant to NHS employment. NHS policy indicates that it may be reasonable, but is not obligatory, for employers to consider this previous service in the redundancy. These decisions should be mutually agreed upon by both the employer and employee at the point of joining or returning to the NHS.
Collectively, sections 12 and 16 ensure that staff retain redundancy protections when moving between NHS organisations, while affording employers the flexibility to acknowledge any relevant external experience, which supports fairness and consistency in redundancy outcomes across the NHS. NHS Employers provides guidance to support the consistent implementation of NHS redundancy provisions across all settings. Ultimately, NHS organisations are responsible for administering the nationally agreed redundancy terms.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 of fragmented recognition of service across different NHS sectors on long-serving NHS staff during redundancy processes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made an assessment of how fragmented recognition of service across different National Health Service sectors might affect long-serving NHS staff who face redundancy.
Redundancy entitlements for NHS staff are determined by Section 16 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (Agenda for Change) handbook, which covers employees directly employed on Agenda for Change contracts in England and those whose contracts refer to Section 16. These arrangements are collectively agreed with NHS trade unions and also specify how previous NHS employment is defined and counted when determining redundancy pay.
Local employers are responsible for confirming entitlement to a redundancy payment, and these terms will be stipulated in an employee’s contract of employment. The redundancy rules as described above apply to those employed by NHS employers in England as listed in Annex 1 of the Agenda for Change handbook. Employers must determine an individual’s redundancy entitlement in accordance with Section 16 as nationally agreed between employers and NHS trade unions. If someone has worked outside the NHS but in a role relevant to NHS employment, NHS policy recommends that it would be reasonable, but not a requirement, for employers to consider this service in any redundancy calculation. This consideration should be agreed between the employer and employee either upon joining or returning to the NHS.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will release national messaging for patients on the difference between routine and urgent core-hours requirements for GPs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the 2025/26 GP Contract, NHS England published You and Your General Practice (YYGP) guidance. YYGP has been developed to help patients understand what to expect from their general practice (GP) and how they can get the best from their GP team. The guidance is based on the contractual requirements that all contractors providing essential GP services must meet and is intended to make patients more informed and to increase practice accountability to patients, with the aim of improving services and patient engagement.
GPs are required to provide a link on their website to the NHS England YYGP document, which can also be found here on the NHS England website at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/you-and-your-general-practice/
The guidance will remain under review and will continue to be updated to reflect changes made to GP contracts.
Anyone who requires treatment that a GP or healthcare professional regards as an emergency, or as immediately necessary, should be provided that treatment free of charge, regardless of whether they are registered with a GP.
There is no set list on what treatment a GP should provide in an emergency, as it is up to the GP’s clinical judgement to decide the correct treatment at the time.