Department of Health and Social Care

The modelling of sepsis mortality used the Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care dataset, using the episode level version of this dataset to ensure maximum accuracy in identifying inpatient activity related to sepsis.

The research includes nine National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in England which implemented an enterprise level electronic patient record (EPR) system, where the EPR system was rolled out throughout the whole provider at the point of implementation. A further eight providers are included in the same model as controls, as these are providers without an EPR system at the time of the analysis.

A digitally mature trust was defined as an acute provider in the top decile of digitisation index based on the Digital Maturity Assessment 2016/17.

The modelling of sepsis mortality used the Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care dataset, using the episode level version of this dataset to ensure maximum accuracy in identifying inpatient activity related to sepsis.

The research includes nine National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in England which implemented an enterprise level electronic patient record (EPR) system, where the EPR system was rolled out throughout the whole provider at the point of implementation. A further eight providers are included in the same model as controls, as these are providers without an EPR system at the time of the analysis.

A digitally mature trust was defined as an acute provider in the top decile of digitisation index based on the Digital Maturity Assessment 2016/17.

Electrocardiogram monitoring or stress testing, including 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography and extended electrocardiographic recording, are priced as part of Healthcare Resource Group (HRG) EY51Z (Electrocardiogram Monitoring or Stress Testing).

The 2026/27 Payment Scheme, which sets national prices for most HRGs, is currently under consultation. The consultation closes on 16 December, and feedback will be considered on the proposed prices before the final payment scheme is issued.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. It will include modelling of the potential size and shape of the future workforce and implications for major professions.

The updated workforce modelling, and its underlying assumptions, will be set out in and alongside the plan when published in spring 2026. It will be supported by external independent scrutiny. A decision on whether the National Audit Office will be asked to make an assessment of the plan has not yet been made.

Since 2024/25, 24 early support hubs received top-up funding of £8 million to expand their early intervention and prevention support for children and young people's mental health and to take part in an ongoing evaluation of these services.

The evaluation of the early support hubs project will make a significant contribution to the design and implementation of young futures hubs, ensuring that services continue to evolve to meet the needs of young people.

The Government’s first 50 young futures hubs will bring together services at a local level to support children and young people, helping to ensure that young people can access early advice and wellbeing intervention. We will work to ensure there is no wrong door for young people who need support with their mental health.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is the United Kingdom wide regulator of fertility treatment. Pre-implantation genetic testing for polygenic disease is unlawful for use in the UK, as it does not meet the criteria set out in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act for genetic testing. The law is very clear that the testing of embryos can only be carried out if there is a significant risk that a person with the abnormality will have or develop a serious physical or mental disability, a serious illness, or any other serious medical condition.

HFEA licensed clinics in the UK are responsible for selecting embryos based on what is permitted in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act and, therefore, should not offer such testing and subsequent treatment.

Information regarding the draft NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) specification was shared with the Cancer Alliances as part of stakeholder engagement conversations held during summer 2025. The NHS GMS regions are expected to have ongoing engagement with local Cancer Alliances as part of NHS GMS service development and strategy and as part of regional governance requirements.

Integrated community equipment services are critical to the provision of health and social care, supporting people in their homes, preventing avoidable admissions, and reducing delayed discharges.

Under various legislations, including the Care Act 2014, and the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure provision of disability aids and community equipment, to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area.

Local authorities should develop and maintain contingency plans in case of service disruption, working with local partners including integrated care boards.

We will 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, expected in 2026.

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.

In developing the modern service framework for frailty and dementia, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia. As part of this exercise, we will consider what interventions should be supported to improve diagnosis waiting times, which we know are too long in many areas. We are considering all options to help with the prevention and treatment of dementia, including reviewing metrics and targets.

The Darzi investigation found that there were too many targets set for the National Health Service which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or to be held properly to account. 2025/26 planning guidance reduced the number of national targets from 32 the year before down to 18. This was an important step in moving decision making closer to local leaders, letting them decide how to use local funding to best meet the needs of their local population.

NHS planning guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the NHS does, and the absence of a target does not necessarily mean it isn’t an area of focus. We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%. The estimated Dementia Diagnosis Rate for patients aged 65 years old and over at the end of October 2025 was 66.5%. The rate is an increase of 0.2% compared to 66.3% in September 2025. This is an overall increase from March 2020 due to sustained recovery efforts.

We will deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to bring about rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, which is expected in 2026.

The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, set national standards for dementia care, and will redirect NHS priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

The national clinical directors and national specialty advisers are practising clinicians from across England who work part-time at NHS England, providing clinical leadership, advice, input, and support across distinct areas of National Health Service conditions and services.

There are currently no plans within the Department to expand the hours and remit of the National Clinical Director for Dementia and Older People’s Mental Health.

Safety, clinical risk assessments, and functionality or customisation requirements are the responsibility of National Health Service organisations adopting technologies to ensure local needs are taken into consideration. NHS England and the Department do not conduct central assessments.

NHS England has digital clinical safety standards DCB0129 and DCB0160 which are essential requirements for manufacturers of health IT systems and healthcare providers in assessing and managing clinical risks to ensure the safety of digital solutions used across the NHS and adult social care services in England. In addition, the NHS uses Snowmed Clinical Terms and the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases to ensure accurate clinical coding for United Kingdom medical terminology.

Safety, clinical risk assessments, and functionality or customisation requirements are the responsibility of National Health Service organisations adopting technologies to ensure local needs are taken into consideration. NHS England and the Department do not conduct central assessments.

NHS England has digital clinical safety standards DCB0129 and DCB0160 which are essential requirements for manufacturers of health IT systems and healthcare providers in assessing and managing clinical risks to ensure the safety of digital solutions used across the NHS and adult social care services in England. In addition, the NHS uses Snowmed Clinical Terms and the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases to ensure accurate clinical coding for United Kingdom medical terminology.

NHS England has issued guidance for the National Health Service, on the Transformation Directorate’s website, on the safe, lawful, and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health and care settings. This has been reviewed by the Health and Care Information Governance Working Group, including the Information Commissioner’s Office and the National Data Guardian.

This framework helps ensure that AI innovations developed using NHS data benefit patients, support clinicians, and maintain public trust. Safeguards will include ensuring public transparency on the use of AI, ensuring systems are explainable, and that decisions remain under human oversight.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office’s (NAO) report, The costs of clinical negligence, which was published on 17 October 2025.

The NAO found that in 2024/25, there was a 3.7 to one ratio of legal costs to damages payable for low-value claims, those of £25,000 or less. The report can be viewed on the NAO’s website.

We welcome the report by the NAO. The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office’s (NAO) report, The costs of clinical negligence, which was published on 17 October 2025.

The NAO found that in 2024/25, there was a 3.7 to one ratio of legal costs to damages payable for low-value claims, those of £25,000 or less. The report can be viewed on the NAO’s website.

We welcome the report by the NAO. The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office’s (NAO) report, The costs of clinical negligence, which was published on 17 October 2025.

The NAO found that in 2024/25, there was a 3.7 to one ratio of legal costs to damages payable for low-value claims, those of £25,000 or less. The report can be viewed on the NAO’s website.

We welcome the report by the NAO. The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.

Orphanet estimates of the prevalence if alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency within Western Europe and the United States of America is between one in 1,600 and one in 5,000. No England specific estimates are available.

There have been no discussions specific to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The administrations of all four nations continue to work collaboratively to improve the lives of people living with genetic and rare conditions under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. The framework has recently been extended until January 2027.

Orphanet estimates of the prevalence if alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency within Western Europe and the United States of America is between one in 1,600 and one in 5,000. No England specific estimates are available.

There have been no discussions specific to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The administrations of all four nations continue to work collaboratively to improve the lives of people living with genetic and rare conditions under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. The framework has recently been extended until January 2027.

NHS England requires integrated care boards to submit monthly data for the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Scheme (NEPTS). This includes the total number of NEPTS journeys, timeliness of journeys, and journeys covered by the Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme. The data is categorised by treatment types, namely Outpatient – Renal Dialysis, Outpatient – Other, Discharge, Hospital Transfer, and Other. However, the data is not further broken down by specific treatment type or by mode of transport.

Further information on the data collected for NEPTS is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-collections/non-emergency-patient-transport-services-nepts/guidance#data-collection

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 13 November 2025 to Question 84256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85257;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84680;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 84681;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85849; and
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85258.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 13 November 2025 to Question 84256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85257;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84680;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 84681;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85849; and
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85258.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 13 November 2025 to Question 84256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85257;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84680;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 84681;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85849; and
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85258.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 13 November 2025 to Question 84256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85257;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84680;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 84681;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85849; and
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85258.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 13 November 2025 to Question 84256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85257;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84680;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 84681;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85849; and
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85258.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 13 November 2025 to Question 84256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85257;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84680;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 84681;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85849; and
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85258.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment. Increasing surgical and diagnostic capacity is a key part of our plan to deliver this ambition.

We are providing additional diagnostic and elective capacity through a mixture of investments in new equipment and facilities in acute hospitals and community settings, as well as improving utilising and the productivity of our existing assets.

Dedicated and protected surgical hubs transform the way the NHS provides elective care by focusing on providing high volume, low complexity surgery, as recommended by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. There are currently 123 operational surgical hubs across England, 23 of which have opened since the Government took office. We will expand the number of hubs over the next three years to increase surgical capacity and deliver faster access to common procedures.

Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) provide a broad range of elective diagnostics away from acute facilities, reducing pressure on hospitals and giving patients quicker and more convenient access to tests. CDCs are now delivering additional tests and checks on 170 sites across the country. We will expand existing CDCs, as well as building up to five new ones in 2025/26. We are also committed to opening CDCs 12 hours per day, seven days a week.

This is supported by £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years for diagnostic, elective, urgent, and emergency capacity in the NHS. This includes £1.65 billion of capital funding in 2025/26 to deliver new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners, and beds to increase capacity for elective and emergency care.

We will create an NHS fit for the future, modernising care so that it takes place efficiently and closer to home, prioritising patient experience and ensuring that wherever you live in England, you will be seen, diagnosed, and treated in a timely way.

We have started earlier and done more than ever to prepare for winter this year. We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the National Health Service over the winter months, providing additional support to services across the country 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.

Flu is a recurring pressure that the NHS faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant people, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.  This year we have:

• expanded the use of the National Booking Service for flu vaccination;
• carried out a major campaign aimed at eligible people, encouraging them to take up their vaccinations; and
• developed the “flu walk-in finder” so that, from October 2025, patients can easily look up when they can walk into a community pharmacy to get a vaccination.

We have started earlier and done more than ever to prepare for winter this year. We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the National Health Service over the winter months, providing additional support to services across the country 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.

Flu is a recurring pressure that the NHS faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant people, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.  This year we have:

• expanded the use of the National Booking Service for flu vaccination;
• carried out a major campaign aimed at eligible people, encouraging them to take up their vaccinations; and
• developed the “flu walk-in finder” so that, from October 2025, patients can easily look up when they can walk into a community pharmacy to get a vaccination.

The Department does not hold this data nor are there any plans to collect NHS Staff Survey data from any additional occupational groups.

As reported in the 2024 NHS Staff Survey, 30.24% of respondents reported having felt burnout because of their work. Data taken from the NHS Staff Survey cannot however be used to identity trends in specialities.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not held discussions with the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust regarding capital funding for additional parking at the Royal Oldham Hospital. Decisions on the provision and capital funding of car parking are made locally by National Health Service organisations.

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust has been allocated over £211 million in operational capital funding for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period. In addition, the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board has been allocated over £18 million for this period. This funding may be utilised for additional parking at the Royal Oldham Hospital where this is a local priority.

The National Health Service met its ambitious goal to maintain 95% of planned care during the November round of strike action, surpassing the 93% protected during action in July, while still maintaining critical services, including maternity services and urgent cancer care. Cancellations have reduced across successive periods of strikes. As a result of industrial action:

• there were 61,989 elective procedures and appointments rescheduled between 27 June and 1 July;
• there were 54,095 elective procedures and appointments rescheduled between 25 July and 29 July; and
• there were 38,961 elective procedures and appointments rescheduled between 14 November to 18 November.

Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department. Contracts are held between the local National Health Service trust and their respective private finance company. The contracts were let for a prescribed period of time, with the terms set at the outset and limited areas for renegotiation.

The Department’s Private Finance Team together with the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority provides expert support and advice to NHS trusts with PFI contracts on a case-by-case basis, considering all options available whilst maintaining contractual compliance. This includes, but is not limited to, improving the performance of existing contracts, assessing the costs of existing contracts and where efficiencies and savings can be realised, and managing hand back of the assets at the end of the contract term. The Department’s Private Finance team also continues to assess opportunities to refinance debt where possible and where it would be value for money.

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.

For referral to treatment (RTT) pathways that start within an interface service, which is any form of intermediary clinical triage, assessment, and/or treatment between primary and secondary care, a patient's clock start will begin at the point the general practice referral is made and not the date that the referral is received by the secondary care provider. Further information can be found in the RTT consultant-led waiting times: rules suite guidance document, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-start-consultant-led-treatment-within-18-weeks/referral-to-treatment-consultant-led-waiting-times-rules-suite-october-2022

The complete time elapsed between referral and treatment will be recorded on the published consultant led RTT waiting time data, at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2025-26/

Advice and Guidance (A&G) is where a general practitioner requests advice from a specialist digitally, prior to or instead of a referral, and it has helped divert over 655,000 referrals between April and August 2025. The NHS Electronic Referral System, the platform used for most A&Gs, can allow the specialist to "convert" a request into a referral. An RTT waiting time clock would not commence unless the request is converted to a referral. Where a referral to the waiting list is not required, we expect patients to receive care sooner, in a more convenient setting, having benefitted from specialist advice to inform their care management plan.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published in October 2025, outlines plans to move toward delivering care through a ‘Single Point of Access’. This describes a model where all appropriate referrals and requests, other than those for urgent suspected cancer, are directed through a single ‘front door’ to support triage to the most appropriate next step or outcome for the patient. This will help ensure a more consistent approach to triage which provides quicker access to patients.

There are no plans for an independent audit of pre-listing referral management processes and reporting of delays across National Health Service trusts.

For referral to treatment (RTT) pathways that start within an interface service, which is any form of intermediary clinical triage, assessment, and/or treatment between primary and secondary care, a patient's clock start will begin at the point the general practice referral is made and not the date that the referral is received by the secondary care provider. Further information can be found in the RTT consultant-led waiting times: rules suite guidance document, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-start-consultant-led-treatment-within-18-weeks/referral-to-treatment-consultant-led-waiting-times-rules-suite-october-2022

The complete time elapsed between referral and treatment will be recorded on the published consultant led RTT waiting time data, at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2025-26/

Advice and Guidance (A&G) is where a general practitioner requests advice from a specialist digitally, prior to or instead of a referral, and it has helped divert over 655,000 referrals between April and August 2025. The NHS Electronic Referral System, the platform used for most A&Gs, can allow the specialist to "convert" a request into a referral. An RTT waiting time clock would not commence unless the request is converted to a referral. Where a referral to the waiting list is not required, we expect patients to receive care sooner, in a more convenient setting, having benefitted from specialist advice to inform their care management plan.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published in October 2025, outlines plans to move toward delivering care through a ‘Single Point of Access’. This describes a model where all appropriate referrals and requests, other than those for urgent suspected cancer, are directed through a single ‘front door’ to support triage to the most appropriate next step or outcome for the patient. This will help ensure a more consistent approach to triage which provides quicker access to patients.

There are no plans for an independent audit of pre-listing referral management processes and reporting of delays across National Health Service trusts.

For referral to treatment (RTT) pathways that start within an interface service, which is any form of intermediary clinical triage, assessment, and/or treatment between primary and secondary care, a patient's clock start will begin at the point the general practice referral is made and not the date that the referral is received by the secondary care provider. Further information can be found in the RTT consultant-led waiting times: rules suite guidance document, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-start-consultant-led-treatment-within-18-weeks/referral-to-treatment-consultant-led-waiting-times-rules-suite-october-2022

The complete time elapsed between referral and treatment will be recorded on the published consultant led RTT waiting time data, at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2025-26/

Advice and Guidance (A&G) is where a general practitioner requests advice from a specialist digitally, prior to or instead of a referral, and it has helped divert over 655,000 referrals between April and August 2025. The NHS Electronic Referral System, the platform used for most A&Gs, can allow the specialist to "convert" a request into a referral. An RTT waiting time clock would not commence unless the request is converted to a referral. Where a referral to the waiting list is not required, we expect patients to receive care sooner, in a more convenient setting, having benefitted from specialist advice to inform their care management plan.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published in October 2025, outlines plans to move toward delivering care through a ‘Single Point of Access’. This describes a model where all appropriate referrals and requests, other than those for urgent suspected cancer, are directed through a single ‘front door’ to support triage to the most appropriate next step or outcome for the patient. This will help ensure a more consistent approach to triage which provides quicker access to patients.

There are no plans for an independent audit of pre-listing referral management processes and reporting of delays across National Health Service trusts.

The following table shows the proportion of spending on Microsoft software licenses and services between 4 December 2024 and 5 December 2025, and between 4 December 2023 and 5 December 2024 that was allocated to new service implementations and renewal, and to the maintenance of existing systems:

As of December 2025, community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are now delivering additional tests and checks on 170 sites across the country.

Spirometry with bronchodilator response is a minimum test requirement of all standard and large CDCs. It is therefore expected that all fully operational standard and large CDCs offer this service.

CDC programme funded diagnostic test activity is reported from management information collected monthly. Spirometry test activity is included as part of the ‘other respiratory’ category. 307,866 ‘other respiratory’ tests have been delivered between January 2025 and the end of October 2025, the latest published data. Spirometry is not recorded separately and so individual testing volumes are not held in the format requested. CDC management information, including a list of tests categorised under the ‘other respiratory’ grouping, can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/cdc-management-information/

As of December 2025, community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are now delivering additional tests and checks on 170 sites across the country.

Spirometry with bronchodilator response is a minimum test requirement of all standard and large CDCs. It is therefore expected that all fully operational standard and large CDCs offer this service.

CDC programme funded diagnostic test activity is reported from management information collected monthly. Spirometry test activity is included as part of the ‘other respiratory’ category. 307,866 ‘other respiratory’ tests have been delivered between January 2025 and the end of October 2025, the latest published data. Spirometry is not recorded separately and so individual testing volumes are not held in the format requested. CDC management information, including a list of tests categorised under the ‘other respiratory’ grouping, can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/cdc-management-information/

The safety of staff and patients at the seven predominantly reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) hospitals remains our utmost priority.

An independent report, commissioned by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has confirmed that the seven RAAC hospitals can remain open beyond 2030 as a result of the continued efforts of trusts and the NHS England National RAAC programme to manage the presence of RAAC and deliver remediation, mitigation, and safety works. The report, published 12 December 2025, can be read in full at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/raac-strategic-planning-assessment-of-the-raac-7-hospitals

We will continue to support NHS England’s national RAAC programme with £1.6 billion across the next four years, from 2026/27 to 2029/30, to ensure sufficient funding to complete the planned RAAC remediation works and meet the additional RAAC monitoring and mitigation costs identified in the report.

Construction for all RAAC replacement schemes is currently planned to commence and substantially deliver between 2025 and 2030 as part of Wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme.

It is unacceptable that patients across the United Kingdom continue to wait lengthy periods for treatment, and it is imperative that the elective waiting list is a top priority for all four nations. These national standards apply across England, including the ambition that 92% of patients start treatment within 18 weeks of referral.

Local systems and providers have different access policies which dictate the steps that need to happen during a provider transfer. Some providers will accept a transfer of care, while others will require a new referral from primary care. To ensure that people are seen in accordance with clinical need, all waiting lists are subject to clinical prioritisation at a local level. The National Health Services triages patients waiting for elective care, including surgeries, ensuring the order in which patients are seen reflects clinical judgement on need as well as taking into account overall wait time. These steps aim to ensure that patients moving between regions are treated equitably and that waiting times are managed consistently.

Across England, patients have a right to request their local integrated care board find an alternative provider when they have been waiting, or expect to wait, over 18 weeks to begin treatment for consultant-led care.

Health is predominantly a devolved issue, with each UK nation operating its own NHS system, including separate waiting lists, and associated rules and guidance. Moving between countries generally means starting a new referral process under the designated nation’s system. However, similar prioritisation processes will occur to ensure that patients are seen and treated based on clinical need.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington on 1 December 2025 to Question 93637.

The Department does not hold specific data on the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses employed in the National Health Service in England. These roles are commissioned locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards as part of neurology and movement disorder services.

While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialities of neurology and geriatric medicine. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology and 6,284 in geriatric medicine in NHS trusts and other organisations in England. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists and 1,687 FTE consultant geriatricians.

NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.

NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.