Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
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 offering prostate cancer screening to men considered to be at high risk on (a) NHS costs and (b) health outcomes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is guided on screening policy by the UK National Screening Committee. The committee has commissioned a university to carry out a high quality review and cost effectiveness model of the evidence for a national prostate cancer screening programme. The work will include costs and health outcomes. This includes targeted approaches to high risk groups and an offer to all men defined by age. The committee expects to receive the report later this year.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to retain (a) job numbers and (b) existing terms and conditions when NHS trusts create subsidiary companies.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Contract award decisions in the National Health Service fall directly to individual NHS bodies, who are responsible for running their own procurement exercises. Ministers at the Department do not have general powers in legislation to direct trusts in relation to the exercise of any of their functions, including in relation to specific contractual decisions. The NHS has established governance processes, in line with Government procurement policy and best practice, to ensure that appropriate contractual decisions are made that represent value for money.
The three NHS Dorset foundation trusts have undertaken two months of engagement concerning proposals to establish a wholly owned subsidiary company to deliver estates and facilities management services. Relevant papers concerning the proposal were placed in the public domain in June 2025 for board meetings held in that month. Under the proposals, the trusts have advised NHS England that there will be no job reductions, and that transferred staff will keep their pay and terms and conditions exactly aligned with the NHS. This covers both current and new staff. NHS England will review the level of assurance around the trust boards’ self-certification as to their readiness to proceed to the next formal consultation stage, which will involve staff and unions.
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations allow for terms and conditions of service to be protected or frozen as they stand on the date of transfer to a new employer, like a wholly owned subsidiary. NHS trust wholly owned subsidiaries can apply for access to the NHS Pension Scheme for compulsorily transferring staff, and new starters.
The Government expects that any outsourced services are delivered by trusts in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money, as part of the broader commitments on procurement, as set out in the Make Work Pay programme, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/make-work-pay
NHS staff continue to work incredibly hard on delivering the best possible care for patients, and wherever they work across the health service, we expect the highest standards and good terms and conditions.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, (b) University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust and (c) Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust on their proposals to create a subsidiary company.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Contract award decisions in the National Health Service fall directly to individual NHS bodies, who are responsible for running their own procurement exercises. Ministers at the Department do not have general powers in legislation to direct trusts in relation to the exercise of any of their functions, including in relation to specific contractual decisions. The NHS has established governance processes, in line with Government procurement policy and best practice, to ensure that appropriate contractual decisions are made that represent value for money.
The three NHS Dorset foundation trusts have undertaken two months of engagement concerning proposals to establish a wholly owned subsidiary company to deliver estates and facilities management services. Relevant papers concerning the proposal were placed in the public domain in June 2025 for board meetings held in that month. Under the proposals, the trusts have advised NHS England that there will be no job reductions, and that transferred staff will keep their pay and terms and conditions exactly aligned with the NHS. This covers both current and new staff. NHS England will review the level of assurance around the trust boards’ self-certification as to their readiness to proceed to the next formal consultation stage, which will involve staff and unions.
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations allow for terms and conditions of service to be protected or frozen as they stand on the date of transfer to a new employer, like a wholly owned subsidiary. NHS trust wholly owned subsidiaries can apply for access to the NHS Pension Scheme for compulsorily transferring staff, and new starters.
The Government expects that any outsourced services are delivered by trusts in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money, as part of the broader commitments on procurement, as set out in the Make Work Pay programme, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/make-work-pay
NHS staff continue to work incredibly hard on delivering the best possible care for patients, and wherever they work across the health service, we expect the highest standards and good terms and conditions.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
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 proposals to create a subsidiary company by NHS trusts in Dorset on (a) jobs and (b) existing terms and conditions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Contract award decisions in the National Health Service fall directly to individual NHS bodies, who are responsible for running their own procurement exercises. Ministers at the Department do not have general powers in legislation to direct trusts in relation to the exercise of any of their functions, including in relation to specific contractual decisions. The NHS has established governance processes, in line with Government procurement policy and best practice, to ensure that appropriate contractual decisions are made that represent value for money.
The three NHS Dorset foundation trusts have undertaken two months of engagement concerning proposals to establish a wholly owned subsidiary company to deliver estates and facilities management services. Relevant papers concerning the proposal were placed in the public domain in June 2025 for board meetings held in that month. Under the proposals, the trusts have advised NHS England that there will be no job reductions, and that transferred staff will keep their pay and terms and conditions exactly aligned with the NHS. This covers both current and new staff. NHS England will review the level of assurance around the trust boards’ self-certification as to their readiness to proceed to the next formal consultation stage, which will involve staff and unions.
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations allow for terms and conditions of service to be protected or frozen as they stand on the date of transfer to a new employer, like a wholly owned subsidiary. NHS trust wholly owned subsidiaries can apply for access to the NHS Pension Scheme for compulsorily transferring staff, and new starters.
The Government expects that any outsourced services are delivered by trusts in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money, as part of the broader commitments on procurement, as set out in the Make Work Pay programme, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/make-work-pay
NHS staff continue to work incredibly hard on delivering the best possible care for patients, and wherever they work across the health service, we expect the highest standards and good terms and conditions.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with UNISON in relation to proposals by NHS Trusts in Dorset to create a subsidiary company.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Contract award decisions in the National Health Service fall directly to individual NHS bodies, who are responsible for running their own procurement exercises. Ministers at the Department do not have general powers in legislation to direct trusts in relation to the exercise of any of their functions, including in relation to specific contractual decisions. The NHS has established governance processes, in line with Government procurement policy and best practice, to ensure that appropriate contractual decisions are made that represent value for money.
The three NHS Dorset foundation trusts have undertaken two months of engagement concerning proposals to establish a wholly owned subsidiary company to deliver estates and facilities management services. Relevant papers concerning the proposal were placed in the public domain in June 2025 for board meetings held in that month. Under the proposals, the trusts have advised NHS England that there will be no job reductions, and that transferred staff will keep their pay and terms and conditions exactly aligned with the NHS. This covers both current and new staff. NHS England will review the level of assurance around the trust boards’ self-certification as to their readiness to proceed to the next formal consultation stage, which will involve staff and unions.
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations allow for terms and conditions of service to be protected or frozen as they stand on the date of transfer to a new employer, like a wholly owned subsidiary. NHS trust wholly owned subsidiaries can apply for access to the NHS Pension Scheme for compulsorily transferring staff, and new starters.
The Government expects that any outsourced services are delivered by trusts in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money, as part of the broader commitments on procurement, as set out in the Make Work Pay programme, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/make-work-pay
NHS staff continue to work incredibly hard on delivering the best possible care for patients, and wherever they work across the health service, we expect the highest standards and good terms and conditions.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
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 introduce a national screening programme for prostate cancer; and what steps his Department is taking to improve outcomes for people affected by the disease.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is guided on screening policy by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC does not currently recommend a national screening programme for prostate cancer, as the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen test, lacks the necessary accuracy. It can lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment, as well as false reassurance for some men. This is particularly important given that many prostate cancers are slow-growing and may not cause harm during a man's lifetime.
However, the UK NSC has commissioned a university to carry out a high-quality review and cost effectiveness model of the evidence for a national prostate cancer screening programme. This includes targeted approaches to high-risk groups and an offer to all men defined by age. The UK NSC expects to receive the report later this year.
In addition, the Government has invested £16 million in the £42 million United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, led by Prostate Cancer UK, which aims to identify new ways of detecting prostate cancer at an earlier stage, including in men without symptoms. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of participants are Black men, reflecting their higher risk and the importance of ensuring new tests are effective across all groups.
The National Cancer Plan will include details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including for those living with prostate cancer.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
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 experienced non-medical aesthetic practitioners are included in (a) consultations and (b) policy development on the regulation of cosmetic procedures.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In exploring options for the regulation of cosmetic procedures, the Department has engaged with a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives from the British Beauty Council and the Beauty Industry Group. The Department will continue to engage with a broad range of stakeholders in addressing concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector, and will notify them of any upcoming consultations on this area to which they can contribute.
Asked by: Jake Richards (Labour - Rother Valley)
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 merits of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty across his Departmental responsibilities.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is supportive of the extension of the Armed Forces Covenant. A key benefit of the Department having a legal duty to have due regard to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant is greater awareness and consistency of the unique impacts of military service on health and care needs from the early stages of policy development through to operational delivery from the National Health Service and local authorities.
NHS England and other specified NHS bodies have a statutory obligation to have due regard to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant. Extending this duty to include the Department will build on the good work of the NHS to date and will play an important role within the new NHS model for the benefit of the Armed Forces Community.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to work with relevant authorities to reduce the number of allergy related deaths in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works with various other Government departments, agencies, and other organisations to improve allergy care and outcomes and, ultimately, to reduce the number of allergy related deaths, including for people in Romford constituency.
The Expert Advisory Group on Allergy (EAGA) is jointly chaired by the Department, and includes representation from NHS England, relevant Government departments and agencies, and professional organisations and patient groups. The EAGA's purpose is to identify priority areas for policy change and development related to allergy care, and to advise on how to achieve improved outcomes for people with allergies. This includes identifying areas for the Department, NHS England, and other Government departments and agencies to focus attention on.
Outside the EAGA, the Department collaborates with other Government departments and agencies on allergy policy to address the wide-ranging impact of allergies that can extend beyond healthcare to areas like education and food safety. This includes work with the Department for Education to ensure that schools have appropriate measures in place to support pupils with allergies, and with the Food Standards Agency to ensure that individuals with food allergies have access to safe food and are well-informed about potential allergens in the food they consume.
This cross-Departmental approach is essential for developing comprehensive strategies that address the various challenges presented by allergies, including prevention, management, and the impact on individuals' quality of life.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made towards Smokefree 2030.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Smokefree 2030 was Government policy prior to and until the July 2024 General Election. The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will help deliver our current ambition to create a smoke-free generation, gradually ending the sale of tobacco products across the country. Creating a smoke-free generation is expected to help reduce smoking rates of people aged between 14 and 30 years old to near zero by 2050.
To support current smokers, an additional £70 million is also being provided in 2025/26 to support local authority-led Stop Smoking Services in England, and the national Swap to Stop scheme, swapping cigarettes for vapes, and Smoke-free Pregnancy Incentives Scheme are also continuing.