Department of Health and Social Care

There are no plans to abolish parking charges for National Health Service staff.

All trusts that charge for hospital car parking provide free parking to ‘in-need groups’, which include NHS staff working overnight, frequent outpatient attenders, disabled people and parents of children staying overnight in hospital.

The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), including Creon, used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues are impacting countries throughout Europe, and have been caused by the limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints in producing the volumes needed to meet demand. The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production.

We have issued comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues, which provides advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. This guidance is being kept under review, and updates will be made as necessary. Serious Shortage Protocols are in place for Creon 10,000 and 25,000 capsules to limit prescriptions to one months’ supply, to allow demand management.

We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be. While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, and to help mitigate risks to patients.

The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), including Creon, used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues are impacting countries throughout Europe, and have been caused by the limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints in producing the volumes needed to meet demand. The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production.

We have issued comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues, which provides advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. This guidance is being kept under review, and updates will be made as necessary. Serious Shortage Protocols are in place for Creon 10,000 and 25,000 capsules to limit prescriptions to one months’ supply, to allow demand management.

We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be. While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, and to help mitigate risks to patients.

This information is not available in the format requested. The latest published National Health Service data, from June 2024, shows that 61.8% of patients were admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.

The Government is committed to supporting the NHS in reducing accident and emergency waiting times, and returning to the standards patients should expect as set out in the NHS Constitution.

The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), including Creon, used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues are impacting countries throughout Europe, and have been caused by the limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints in producing the volumes needed to meet demand. The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production.

We have issued comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues, which provides advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. This guidance is being kept under review, and updates will be made as necessary. Serious Shortage Protocols are in place for Creon 10,000 and 25,000 capsules to limit prescriptions to one months’ supply, to allow demand management.

We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be. While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, and to help mitigate risks to patients.

The Gloucestershire health system carried out public consultation in 2020, as well as further engagement between 2022 and 2023, on shaping the future of hospital services. As set out in the proposals, Cheltenham General Hospital will continue to provide a consultant-led emergency department from 8:00am to 8:00pm, and a nurse-led minor injuries and illness unit from 8:00pm to 8:00am, with an intensive care service for critically unwell patients.

As of July 2024, there are 93,113 automated external defibrillators registered in the United Kingdom on the National Defibrillator Network, also known as The Circuit, including 73,682 in England. Moving forward, the Department has asked Professor Lord Darzi to investigate the state of the National Health Service. The Department will then set out its 10-year plan for the NHS.

Insurers make commercial decisions about pricing and the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics. The respective capabilities of insurers to assess risk is a key element on which they compete, and the Government does not intend to intervene in these commercial decisions, as this could damage competition in the market. This competition is important and should lead to better products and lower prices for consumers overall.

Price is an important factor on which insurers compete to win customers, and that competition should push insurers to continuously improve their assessment of risks in order to lower prices and create better products for consumers. The Government intervening in insurance markets could damage that competition and, therefore, we do not generally intervene in the commercial pricing decisions of insurers.

Services are commissioned either by integrated care boards or by NHS England. Commissioners have always worked with private providers to deliver primary and secondary services for the National Health Service, and make decisions based on the specifics of their areas and populations.

This government is committed to driving down waiting times for patients and will use all levers, including spare capacity in the system whether that is in independent or NHS providers, to ensure patients are treated faster. Our first step will be the delivery of 40,000 more appointments per week, and we will support the system to deliver these in the most productive and cost-efficient way.

No specific assessment has been made. The legislation to ban virginity testing and hymenoplasty was introduced through the Health and Social Act 2022. In April 2024 the department published the virginity testing and hymenoplasty multi-agency guidance which provides advice to anyone who may come in to contact with women and girls affected by virginity testing and hymenoplasty. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/virginity-testing-and-hymenoplasty-multi-agency-guidance/virginity-testing-and-hymenoplasty-multi-agency-guidance

All capital spending activity is kept under regular review to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of patients and delivers value for money.

This Government recognises that strategic, value for money investments in capital projects are critical to providing good quality care. In line with this Government’s plans to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future and as part of our internal Spending Review preparations, the Department is reviewing capital requirements, including through NHS England’s assessment of long-term NHS estate needs across a range of areas. Timescales associated with the Spending Review are yet to be confirmed.

The Secretary of State has asked for an urgent report on the degree to which the New Hospital Programme is funded and a realistic timetable for delivery.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for arranging access to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) recommended treatments, therefore it is not driven by the Department. It is up to ICBs to determine the best model of access for their eligible population.

Antiviral treatments for COVID-19 are now routinely available for National Health Service patients at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19, in line with the approach to the rollout set out in the NICE’s guidance published last year.

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), provides funding for research projects which aim to understand the underlying causes of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and find new treatments for the condition. For example, the NIHR, together with the Medical Research Council, have funded the world’s largest genome-wide association study of ME/CFS. This £3.2 million study, termed DecodeME, will analyse samples from 25,000 people with ME/CFS to search for genetic differences that may indicate underlying causes or an increased risk of developing the condition. By helping us to understand ME/CFS better, this research has the potential to lead to new treatments for the condition.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning specialist ME/CFS services that meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding. The process of commissioning services should take into account best practice guidance such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance on ME/CFS diagnosis and management, published in October 2021.

It is the duty of clinicians to keep themselves appraised of best practice, in particular guidance issued by the NICE. Whilst guidelines are not mandatory, clinicians and commissioners are expected to take them fully into account when designing services to meet the needs of their local population. The NICE promotes its guidance via its website, newsletters, and other media.

In October 2023, the British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS published the ME/CFS National Services Survey. This report provides insight into the services being delivered for adults, children, and young people with ME/CFS.

The Department has been working with NHS England to develop an e-learning course on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, to support staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes. This has involved feedback and input from patients. The Medical Schools Council will promote the NHS England e-learning package on ME/CFS to all United Kingdom medical schools, and encourage medical schools to provide undergraduates with direct patient experience of ME/CFS. A decision on next steps on ME/CFS at the national level will be taken in the coming weeks.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of including a dedicated section on congenital disorders of glycosylation in the UK Rare Diseases Framework. The framework was published in 2021, and provides a national vision for how to improve the lives of those living with rare diseases by addressing shared challenges, and does not focus on specific rare conditions.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a national patient register for congenital disorders of glycosylation. There are no plans in England for a specific registry for this condition. Metabolic patients are included in the National Disease Registration Service, which is now part of NHS England.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, and to recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and retention of NHS dentists.

The Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board has been working with 23 dental practices to introduce a new Urgent Treatment Service, which is now treating 1,800 people per month, and will be investing in Child Focused Dental Practices to offer treatment to vulnerable children and young people.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, and to recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and retention of NHS dentists.

The Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board has been working with 23 dental practices to introduce a new Urgent Treatment Service, which is now treating 1,800 people per month, and will be investing in Child Focused Dental Practices to offer treatment to vulnerable children and young people.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, and to recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and retention of NHS dentists.

We recognise that access to NHS dental care in Lincolnshire has been challenging over recent years. The Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes South Holland and the Deepings constituency, has taken a number of steps to help improve access in this area, but we know more must be done. The steps that the Lincolnshire ICB has recently taken to improve access includes uplifting the minimum Unit of Dental Activity rate to £28 across the region, to help recruit and retain staff, and implementing the New Patient Premium.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and to better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including by cutting red tape. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists.

Local Authorities are required to publish Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments every three years to assess the need for pharmaceutical services in their area. Intergrated care boards are required to consider these assessments when commissioning services to meet their population’s need.

One of our missions is to rescue and rebuild National Health Service dentistry. To do this, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

There are no perfect payment systems, and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system, so that we deliver a system better for patients and professionals.

Between 2011 and 2022, the Department tested a prototype system which included a mix of capitation and activity payments. The results of that trial are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dental-contract-reform-evaluating-the-results-of-the-prototype-scheme/dental-contract-reform-a-report-on-learnings-from-the-dental-contract-prototype-test-between-april-2016-and-march-2019

We are supporting NHS England in establishing a taskforce to look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) service provision, and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD and to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand.

Alongside the work of the taskforce, NHS England will continue to develop a national ADHD data improvement plan, carry out more detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from local health systems which are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services to ensure best practice is captured and shared across the system.

Ensuring workers in the United Kingdom receive fair pay for their work is a key pillar of the Plan to Make Work Pay. Building on the foundations of the creation of the National Minimum Wage, we will make sure that that minimum wage is a real living wage that people can live on. We will change the Low Pay Commission’s remit so that wages will reflect the need for pay to consider the cost of living. The Government has also committed to removing age bands so that every adult worker benefits, and we will work to ensure that the living wage is properly enforced.

In addition to these changes, we know that those working in social care have been ignored for too long. They will be at the heart of our initial reforms and we will start by engaging with the sector to deliver a long overdue new deal for care workers. This will include establishing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for care professionals, working with trade unions and workers, and learning from countries where Fair Pay Agreements operate successfully.

While there is no data available for 2010, as of 10 July 2024, there were 20 open dentistry practices in the Macclesfield constituency, six of which stated they were accepting new adult National Health Service patients when availability allows. This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website, and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, and to recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The local integrated care boards (ICBs) for Hitchen are also taking actions to support access to dental services. In May 2024, the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB introduced a Dental Access Pilot which all patients can access via the NHS111 service. This pilot involves a small cohort of dental contractors working across four areas, providing additional dental sessions on evenings, weekends, and bank holidays.

The Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB has been running a pilot scheme since December 2023 which provides additional urgent appointments during the day and in the evenings, as well as over weekends, to patients who are referred via NHS111.

he information requested is not available on a constituency basis, or for the desired age band.

The Hitchin constituency sits within the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board where, in May 2024, 649,000 general practice appointments were delivered. Of those, 29,000 appointments, or 4.1%, were delivered 28 days after booking, 0.7% less than the national average.

In the 12 months up to May 2024, more than 156,000 appointments, which are not usually booked in advance, were delivered more than 28 days after they were booked. There are a number of factors which can influence the timing of appointments, and it is not possible to estimate the time between the patient’s first attempt to contact their surgery and an appointment.

The information requested is not available on a constituency basis, or for the desired age band for each of the last five years.

This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The Integrated Care Board (ICB) has taken steps to improve access to NHS dental care in North Shropshire, but we know more needs to be done. The ICB is ensuring that undelivered NHS dental activity is redistributed to other practices to help support access to care.

Four practices across the North Shropshire parliamentary constituency recently saw an uplift to their Unit of Dental Activity (UDA) rate to £28. This should help support recruitment and retention of NHS dentists in this area. In addition, a new dental practice in Oswestry has increased their contracted UDAs and will do so again in April 2025.

The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme is subject to annual review as part of the consultation on the general practice contract with professional and patient representatives. NHS England works closely with the Department to implement any changes identified as part of this process.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, in line with the relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to deliver improved outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways. This guidance will help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people and adults referred to an autism assessment service.

The Department are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has launched into challenges in ADHD service provision. The taskforce is expected to report on its findings and recommendations later this year.

The Government has not assessed the impact of private tests on costs to the National Health Service and has no plans to change the way they are regulated; however, people are free to choose private health check providers outside of the NHS. We recommend that individuals understand whether the tests are likely to be informative and are clear what will happen if the test shows an abnormal result.

If a product such as a commercial screening test is classified as a medical device, it must hold a UK Conformity Assessed or CE certificate before being placed on the United Kingdom market. This certificate shows that the device meets the requirements of the relevant regulations.

The National Health Service is broken, and the Government is determined to fix it. We recognise the need for investment in NHS estates across the country, including at Watford General Hospital. We will provide the investment and reform needed to get patients the care they deserve.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has asked for an urgent report on the degree to which the New Hospital Programme is funded, and a realistic timetable for delivery. He will consider this carefully then report back to patients, clinicians, and local communities to confirm any possible revisions to the schedule.

The National Health Service is broken, and the Government is determined to fix it. We recognise the need for investment in NHS estates across the country, including at Watford General Hospital. We will provide the investment and reform needed to get patients the care they deserve.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has asked for an urgent report on the degree to which the New Hospital Programme is funded, and a realistic timetable for delivery. He will consider this carefully then report back to patients, clinicians, and local communities to confirm any possible revisions to the schedule.

The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve ambulance response times and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. In doing so we will be honest about the challenges facing the health service, and serious about tackling them.

As a first step, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has appointed the Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of NHS performance, which will report in September 2024.

Since 2019 the National Health Service has made free period products available to every hospital patient who needs them, including long-term in-patients. The Department for Education’s period product scheme provides access to free period products for all state-funded primary and secondary schools, as well as Government funded 16- to 19-year-old education organisations in England. Since 1 January 2021, a zero rate of VAT has applied to sanitary products, and in January 2024 this was extended to include period pants.

The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, sets out the National Health Service’s key ambitions on cancer. The plan sets out the NHS ambition to increase the number of cancers diagnosed at stages 1 and 2 to 75% by 2028, and to increase the number of people surviving cancer for five years by 55,000 as a result.

Professor Lord Darzi is currently undertaking an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future. The Government will set out any further priorities on cancer and health in due course.

We are committed to delivering the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Transformation Programme as part of the wider National Health Service upgrades programme.

This is backed by £312 million of capital investment and will improve services and patient flow across Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shrewsbury and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been discussing the new United Kingdom-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill with Neil Gray, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care for Scotland, and will send formal correspondence prior to its introduction. As the bill covers the whole of the UK, the Department will stay in close contact with all our devolved government counterparts, throughout the passage of the bill.

Department officials have engaged frequently with officials from Public Health Scotland, and the rest of the devolved governments, to help shape and develop proposals for new legislation. Each of the devolved governments, including the Scottish Government, are in support of a new and strengthened bill, and the benefits it will provide to the health of our nations. Once the bill has been introduced to the UK Parliament, the devolved governments will seek consent motions from their respective legislatures, including the Scottish Parliament.

Too many patients are finding it impossible to access care. In May, a staggering 1.4 million patients waited for over a month for an appointment.

That is why we are committed to: fix the front door to the NHS; bring back the family doctor; and shift the focus of care away from hospitals and into the community.

Too many patients are finding it impossible to access care. In May, a staggering 1.4 million patients waited for over a month for an appointment.

That is why we are committed to: fix the front door to the NHS; bring back the family doctor; and shift the focus of care away from hospitals and into the community.

GPs have been neglected for too long. They are under-resourced, struggling to cope, and patients pay the price.

We know that there is pressure on primary care estates and service provision in areas of high population growth.

General practice provides high quality care, and we are committed to shifting the focus of care out of hospitals and into the community.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care, including at the end of their life. I know that hospices provide fantastic services to many people.

The government is going to shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community.

We recognise the value of the voluntary sector, including hospices, and we will continue to work closely with the sector to understand the pressures they are under.

An immunisation programme to protect infants with a vaccine during pregnancy will begin in England from 1 September 2024, to protect infants from 2024/25 onwards. The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) maternal vaccination programme will be delivered by National Health Service trust providers via maternity services and immunisation providers. They will ensure that pregnant women are informed of their eligibility for the RSV vaccine, and are invited for their vaccination. General practices will also be able to deliver the maternal vaccine on an opportunistic basis, or if requested by the patient.

Pregnant women will be offered the immunisation from 28 weeks of pregnancy until full term, to protect their baby during the first six months of life when they are most vulnerable to RSV complications. The programme will be offered year-round. Further to the national programme, the high-risk programme for eligible infants will continue. This will be offered to eligible infants independent of their mother receiving the maternal vaccine.