Department of Health and Social Care

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency, this is the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB.

The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, ICBs have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. In the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB, which includes the Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency, 25,315 NHS dental treatments were delivered in April to October 2025 compared to the same period before the election. Nationally, 1.8 million more NHS dental treatments were delivered across the same time period. Half of these additional treatments were delivered to children.

The 10-Year Health Plan confirms that child dental health is a priority, and we are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. In the meantime, we are introducing changes to dental access that will benefit children.

From April 2026, we began introducing a package of reforms to address some of the pressing issues that dentists and dental teams have been experiencing. We have introduced a new course of treatment for fluoride varnish for children to be applied by suitably trained dental nurses in between regular check-ups. We have also increased remuneration for dentists for fissure sealants, an effective intervention for children aged seven years old and over, and young people up to 18 years old, to support increased use for primary prevention purposes. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments.

Reducing rates of tooth decay is central to our commitment to help children to live healthier lives. Tooth decay is also almost entirely preventable. We are delivering the national targeted supervised toothbrushing programme for up to 600,000 three to five-year-olds in the most deprived areas.

The Department recognises the importance of ensuring community pharmacy services are safe and accessible to all patients, including those with sensory impairments.

In addition to legal requirements under the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998, pharmacy businesses have a duty to comply with the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) standards for registered pharmacy premises. This requires pharmacies to provide an environment that is safe and accessible for all, taking reasonable steps to remove barriers for patients with disabilities. These standards emphasise the need for pharmacies to make adjustments to facilities and services, such as providing accessible entrances, hearing loops, and assistance for individuals with mobility or sensory challenges.

To support community pharmacies in meeting their legal duties, the GPhC has issued equality guidance for pharmacies, which outlines best practices for supporting patients with a range of needs. NHS England is also rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably. This is being rolled out nationally across all healthcare settings and will help community pharmacies spot when a patient may need extra support.

An interim product on the Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care is due in Spring, with full publication planned for Autumn.

The MSF will provide a clinically-led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including narrowing inequality and reducing unwarranted variation. Areas of action will be identified for those commissioning and delivering services with associated performance and outcome metrics to support system accountability.

Shifting care into community settings is at the heart of the Government’s efforts to modernise and improve productivity in the National Health Service. Our vision is for a new model of planned care that is local where possible. This shift will provide rapid access to patient-centred services.

The Elective Reform Plan sets out our plan to deliver care in the right place, so patients are able to access the right care more quickly. This includes, for example, expanding the use of Advice and Guidance (A&G), which helps general practitioners and hospital specialists to work together to make the best treatment plans for patients, and decide whether a hospital referral is truly needed.

Where the outcome of A&G is for care management in the community, we expect patients to be seen more quickly, closer to home, benefiting from earlier specialist input. Ensuring patients receive the right care the first time can reduce the waiting list, so that people who need hospital care can receive it in a timely manner.

The plan is working. The waiting list has decreased to 7.22 million in February 2026, a drop of over 405,000 since July 2024. 18-week performance has improved by over 3% from the start of July 2024. The number of waits over 18 weeks has decreased to 2.7 million in February 2026, the lowest it’s been since July 2022.

On 22 March 2026, the Government made a formal offer to the British Medical Association (BMA) Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) to seek to resolve their dispute. This was the product of joint negotiation with the BMA RDC officers. This offer was rejected by the committee on 25 March and the BMA RDC immediately called industrial action for 7 to 13 April 2026. In the last year, the BMA RDC have called four rounds of strike action in England.

NHS England records the number of rescheduled appointments and workforce absences during strike actions, including those in Lancashire. The latest data for April is pending, but data on the from the previous three rounds in 2025 is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/preparedness-for-potential-industrial-action-in-the-nhs/

Due to the dedication of National Health Service staff, the NHS delivered almost 95% of planned activity during the five days of strike action in December 2025, similar to the levels of activity during the November strikes and surpassing levels in July.

The Department does not centrally hold data on the number of patients in England awaiting specialist menopause services, although we do hold data on the broader gynaecology specialism, of which menopause services are a part. As of the end of January 2026, the median average waiting time for specialist gynaecology services is 15.3 weeks, with 56.9% of patient pathways waiting less than 18 weeks, up 1.8% from January 2025.

The Department does not hold detailed information on the capacity of National Health Service specialist menopause services.

The Government acknowledges that women suffering from symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships, and participation in the workplace. Menopause and menstrual problems will be among the priorities for the NHS’s new online hospital when it launches next year, providing faster access to specialist care.

The funding and provision of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), such as the Mirena coil, is primarily a matter for local determination.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning contraception for both contraceptive and gynaecological purposes, including essential services under the GP Contract and LARC as a local arrangement.

Contraception for contraceptive purposes, including LARC, is also a prescribed aspect of local authority sexual health commissioning. The Government has mandated local authorities in England to commission comprehensive open access to most sexual and reproductive health services through the Public Health Grant.

It is for individual local authorities and ICBs to decide their spending priorities based on an assessment of local need, and to commission the blend of service access that best suits their population.

The renewed Women’s Health Strategy, which was published on 15 April, sets out how we will ensure that women have straightforward access to the full range of contraception, including LARC, that meets their individual needs and preferences.

We will include contraception in the upcoming sexual and reproductive health framework to clarify current commissioning arrangements and to share opportunities and best practice for closer working and improved pathways.

In the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), poor performance is handled under DHSC's Supporting Performance Improvement Policy, so all disciplinary cases relate only to alleged misconduct.

In DHSC there were 23 formal disciplinary cases concluded between 1 December 2024 and 30 November 2025.

Where the number of case outcomes is under five, the number of cases in the category has been suppressed to avoid individuals becoming identifiable.

The outcomes for these formal cases are categorised as follows:

• No Action;
• Withdrawn;
• Alternative Role;
• Informal Action;
• First Written Warnings;
• six Final Written Warnings;
• Dismissals; and
• No Outcome Provided.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) manages poor performance and discipline under separate policies, so all disciplinary cases relate to alleged misconduct.

In MHRA during the same requested period there were six formal disciplinary cases concluded in total. The outcomes of these six cases are categorised as follows:

• No formal sanction;
• First formal warning; and
• Dismissal.

As the total number of individual case outcomes under each category is under five, the number of case outcomes in each category has been suppressed to avoid individuals becoming identifiable.

In line with DHSC and MHRA, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) manages poor performance and discipline under separate policies, so all case outcomes relate to alleged misconduct.

In UKHSA during the same requested period there were 58 formal disciplinary cases concluded. UKHSA is a larger organisation than DHSC and MHRA combined, with a higher volume of HR cases. The number of outcomes in each category is listed below, given there are at least five outcomes in each category:

• seven No case to answer;
• 18 Cases where a case to answer was found but no penalty awarded;
• nine First Written Warnings;
• five Final Written Warnings;
• eight Dismissals; and
• 11 Cases that were unable to be concluded.

As of 9 December 2025, The Department has ten direct ministerial appointments. The following table shows the name, job title, time commitment, whether they were renumerated, and expected end date for each direct ministerial appointment in the Department:

In line with our departmental policy, we have been unable to provide the annual renumeration and instead indicated which are renumerated.

Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the National Health Service in England identified that the NHS’s current financial trajectory is not sustainable, and that spending has risen sharply and productivity has fallen. We are clear that without reform, rising demand, an ageing population, and inefficiencies will cause the NHS to crowd out other public services, undermining long‑term sustainability of the NHS.

The reforms we have set out in the 10-Year Health Plan will ensure that the NHS has long-term sustainability, by shifting from hospital to community care to deliver care that is cheaper and more effective, by shifting from analogue to digital to raise productivity and reduce unit costs, and by shifting from sickness to prevention. Our plan is to bend the cost curve in acute services, so that costs grow more slowly via a combination of shift activity to community settings and increasing productivity. As per existing funding arrangements, acute providers will be fully funded for all activity they undertake.

To ensure that NHS organisations remain financially sustainable during these reforms, we have published the Medium-Term Planning Framework 2026/27 to 2028/29, published in October 2025, which required integrated care boards and NHS providers to complete an integrated planning process with their three‑year numerical plans and five‑year narratives for the commissioning and delivery of NHS services, including the shift from hospital to community over this three year period. These plans will ensure that reform is delivered in a managed way that protects the financial sustainability of NHS organisations.

In 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.

The Department is currently consulting with Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27.

When the market price of a medicine suddenly increases, pharmacy contractors can request an increase to the reimbursement price, known as a concessionary price, from the Department via Community Pharmacy England. ‘Real-time’ data from suppliers, both wholesalers and manufacturers, obtained under Regulation 27 of The Health Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2018 is used to set the concessionary price. This ensures that prices set are reflective of current market prices and availability, with the aim of mitigating pharmacy contractors dispensing at a loss when market prices suddenly rise.

Pharmacy contractors are reimbursed for medical devices in line with the listed prices on Part IX of the NHS Drug Tariff. Suppliers should adhere to these prices as per the terms of their listing.

We are committed to transforming adult social care and supporting adult social care workers, turning the page on decades of low pay and insecurity. That is why we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve the pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce.

The Fair Pay Agreement process will see a new body formed to negotiate changes to pay, and terms and conditions for care workers, improving recruitment and retention and giving staff better recognition for their vital work.

Both employers and trade unions will sit on the body, and this initial investment will mean that by 2028, care workers will expect to see a boost in their yearly wages.

This will be the first ever agreement of its kind in the social care sector, and we anticipate that this collaborative approach will help to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector, in turn supporting the delivery of high-quality care and recognising care professionals for the important work that they do.

Over this Parliament, alongside our changes to the minimum wage and new measures in the Employment Rights Act, care workers will receive one of the biggest upgrades in their pay, rights, and conditions in a generation. We are also taking forward other significant reforms and improvements:

- expanding the Care Workforce Pathway, the first ever national career structure for adult social care;

- funding £12 million for eligible care staff to complete courses and qualifications, such as the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate; and

- the independent commission, chaired by Baroness Casey, on Adult Social Care launched by the Government, which we have asked to report in 2026, setting out the improvements that we can get on with within existing budgets.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will ensure that people can better access care that is joined up, personalised, and designed to proactively meet their needs. This will involve building a National Health Service that works in partnership with local government, the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector (VCSE) sector, employment services, and beyond.

At the Autumn Budget the Government announced its commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres. Neighbourhood Health Centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a wide range of health and care services on people’s doorsteps, including VCSE services. 27 centres will be open by 2027 and are the first of 50 Neighbourhood Health Centres backed by a total of £200 million in Government investment.

In September 2025, we launched the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) in 43 Places across England. The NNHIP is a large-scale change programme for all partners involved in delivering neighbourhood health, including the VCSE sector.

In March 2026, we published the Neighbourhood Health Framework. The framework is designed to support joined-up partnership between ICBs, local authorities, and their partners, to develop locally led Neighbourhood Health Plans. Local neighbourhood health teams will have the flexibility to work with people in ways that suit their area, whether through co-design, community outreach, or collaboration with VCSE partners.

The Government is acting to improve early detection of dental issues and care for adults. Over the past year, integrated care boards (ICBs) have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. Some patients may be particularly vulnerable to oral health problems, and ICBs are also responsible for commissioning specialised dental services to provide dental treatment in several settings, including care homes or community dental services for patients that may have difficulty accessing high street dental services due to social, medical, or dental needs. We are also committed to reforming the dental contract by the end of this Parliament, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly.

The Government is working to improve oral health and reduce inequalities for those without access to preventative dental care by addressing the main risk factors of dental disease. These include sugar reduction, restrictions on less healthy food and drink, and the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will also help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom alongside record funding for local stop smoking services.

Since 2025, we have invested £21.5 million to deliver the national supervised toothbrushing programme for three to five year olds. We are expanding water fluoridation in the north east of England, so that it reaches 1.6 million more people, and are refurbishing older fluoridation schemes, benefitting a further six million people by 2030, to reduce the inequalities faced by vulnerable children and adults.

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist. The Government is committed to achieving fundamental contract reform by the end of this Parliament. Reforms introduced from April 2026 include changes to embed the provision of urgent care into the dental contract, supported by increased payments for dentists delivering this care, making it easier for patients to get rapid support through the National Health Service.

The Government is working to improve oral health and reduce inequalities for those without access to preventative dental care by addressing the main risk factors of dental disease. These include sugar reduction, restrictions on less healthy food and drink, and the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will also help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom alongside record funding for local stop smoking services.

Since 2025, we have invested £21.5 million to deliver the national supervised toothbrushing programme for three to five year olds. We are expanding water fluoridation in the north east of England, so that it reaches 1.6 million more people, and are refurbishing older fluoridation schemes, benefitting a further six million people by 2030, to reduce the inequalities faced by vulnerable children and adults.

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist. The Government is committed to achieving fundamental contract reform by the end of this Parliament. Reforms introduced from April 2026 include changes to embed the provision of urgent care into the dental contract, supported by increased payments for dentists delivering this care, making it easier for patients to get rapid support through the National Health Service.

The Government is carefully considering the work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out recommendations for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, including options for financial compensation.

The Government has deep sympathy for all those affected and recognises the profound impact that these harms have had on individuals and their families.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that he wants to make meaningful progress during this Parliament, although a decision to provide compensation has not yet been made. We recognise how difficult and disappointing this uncertainty is for those affected, and we will ensure that the public is kept informed as soon as any decision on redress is made.

I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes since I have been in post, and had a very fruitful discussion about the ongoing health initiatives led by the Department regarding sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. Details of the Government’s work to date are set out in recent letters to the Dr Hughes, which are published on her website.

There is no requirement in law for a practitioner performing non-therapeutic male circumcision (NTMC) to be of a minimum age. If an NMTC procedure is carried out by a regulated healthcare professional, they will be subject to oversight by the relevant professional regulator such as the General Medical Council for doctors or the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurses and midwives.

If a regulated healthcare professional is acting in a religious or spiritual role, they cannot ‘opt out’ of their core duties and responsibilities, and therefore any registered healthcare professional wishing to carry out NTMC must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity of surgical procedures.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including conditions such as normal pressure hydrocephalus.

These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on conditions such as normal pressure hydrocephalus to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

Between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 financial years, through the NIHR, the Department committed £1.72 million for 11 new research projects, supported by NIHR infrastructure, into normal pressure hydrocephalus and hydrocephalus more broadly. This includes committing £0.59 million in the 2024/25 financial year alone.

Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated quarterly on the Open Data page of the NIHR website, at the following link:

https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/explore/

The NIHR also works closely with other Government funders, including UK Research and Innovation, which is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and which includes the Medical Research Council, to fund research into a range of conditions, including normal pressure hydrocephalus.

The total cost of the Fuller Inquiry from its commencement in November 2021 to the end of July 2025 is £3,767,395.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including medicinal cannabis for drug-resistant epilepsy. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality​​.

The NIHR and NHS England have confirmed over £9 million in funding for clinical trials to investigate whether two different cannabis-based medicines, one containing cannabidiol (CBD) and one containing a combination of CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol, are safe and effective treatments for drug-resistant epilepsies in adults and children. The trials will produce evidence of significant scientific value suitable for informing future clinical and commissioning decisions. While observational studies can be useful in some circumstances, they cannot demonstrate whether a treatment is ​safe or ​effective and would therefore be of limited scientific value compared with these trials.

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) is built with robust security and privacy controls to ensure that access to National Health Service data is tightly governed and independently auditable.

The NHS FDP Information Governance Framework clearly lays out the roles and responsibilities relating to breach notification and management, defining organisations’ responsibilities in this area.

All user activity within the NHS FDP environment is logged for auditing purposes. These logs are monitored by both the suppliers platform team and the NHS Cyber Security Operations Centre to detect and respond to any malicious activity.

The NHS FDP contract includes audit provisions that allow NHS England to validate and confirm that contractual requirements are being met. These rights of audit are standard within NHS commercial agreements and provide assurance that the platform operates in accordance with NHS England’s expectations and legal obligations, including compliance with UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) is built with robust security and privacy controls to ensure that access to National Health Service data is tightly governed and independently auditable.

The NHS FDP Information Governance Framework clearly lays out the roles and responsibilities relating to breach notification and management, defining organisations’ responsibilities in this area.

All user activity within the NHS FDP environment is logged for auditing purposes. These logs are monitored by both the suppliers platform team and the NHS Cyber Security Operations Centre to detect and respond to any malicious activity.

The NHS FDP contract includes audit provisions that allow NHS England to validate and confirm that contractual requirements are being met. These rights of audit are standard within NHS commercial agreements and provide assurance that the platform operates in accordance with NHS England’s expectations and legal obligations, including compliance with UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

The Department has neither set nor considered setting a national standard for the maximum timeframe within which brain tumour tissue should be placed into a fresh-frozen state following surgical excision.

Fresh-freezing, also referred to as snap-freezing, is a standard technique used by pathology networks to preserve tissue architecture without chemical fixatives, allowing for subsequent molecular or histological analysis, typically supporting research or advanced diagnostic applications.

Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues. Individual pathology services in England maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh, or the snap-freezing, of tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices. While NHS England does not routinely set detailed technical standards for specific laboratory processes, relevant professional bodies, such as Royal College of Pathologists, may develop guidance to support consistent practice across services.

The Information Governance Framework for the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) is published at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/federated-data-platform-information-governance-framework/

Data breaches are determined in line with the guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office. In the event of an actual or suspected security breach or data loss incident (incident) in any instance of the NHS FDP or NHS Privacy Enhancing Technology (NHS-PET), any party who becomes aware of the incident will notify NHS England.

In the case of the platform contractor, such a notification will be made in accordance with its obligations under clause 20, which is regarding authority data and security requirements, clause 23, regarding protection of personal data, and/or Schedule 2.4, regarding security management, of the agreement, as well as clause 6 of the FDP Data Processing Agreement. In addition, in the case of the NHS-PET Contractor, such a notification will be made in accordance with its obligations under clause 17, regarding protection of personal data, Schedule 3, regarding cyber security and information governance, of the Contract, and/or clause 6 of the NHS-PET Data Processing Agreement.

The NHS FDP contractor will notify NHS England of all incidents. The NHS FDP Contractor and user organisations will co-operate with NHS England’s service bridge, cyber, security, data protection, and incident management teams in the investigation, management, mitigation, rectification, restoration, and resolution of the incident in accordance with the NHS FDP Incident Management Protocol.

The relevant controller will report any personal data breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office in line with its responsibilities under UK General Data Protection Regulation.

NHS England and the NHS FDP contractors will co-operate with the local NHS FDP user organisation’s cyber, security, data protection, and incident management teams in the investigation, management, mitigation, rectification, restoration, and resolution of the incident in accordance with the NHS FDP Incident Management Protocol.

Brief details of all personal data breaches, including their root cause, will be reported by NHS England, the NHS FDP contractor, or the local NHS FDP user organisation, depending on who the controller and processor is in relation to the personal data breach, to the Data Governance Group. Each party will co-operate with the other impacted parties in the production of the reports.

The Information Governance Framework for the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) is published at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/federated-data-platform-information-governance-framework/

Data breaches are determined in line with the guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office. In the event of an actual or suspected security breach or data loss incident (incident) in any instance of the NHS FDP or NHS Privacy Enhancing Technology (NHS-PET), any party who becomes aware of the incident will notify NHS England.

In the case of the platform contractor, such a notification will be made in accordance with its obligations under clause 20, which is regarding authority data and security requirements, clause 23, regarding protection of personal data, and/or Schedule 2.4, regarding security management, of the agreement, as well as clause 6 of the FDP Data Processing Agreement. In addition, in the case of the NHS-PET Contractor, such a notification will be made in accordance with its obligations under clause 17, regarding protection of personal data, Schedule 3, regarding cyber security and information governance, of the Contract, and/or clause 6 of the NHS-PET Data Processing Agreement.

The NHS FDP contractor will notify NHS England of all incidents. The NHS FDP Contractor and user organisations will co-operate with NHS England’s service bridge, cyber, security, data protection, and incident management teams in the investigation, management, mitigation, rectification, restoration, and resolution of the incident in accordance with the NHS FDP Incident Management Protocol.

The relevant controller will report any personal data breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office in line with its responsibilities under UK General Data Protection Regulation.

NHS England and the NHS FDP contractors will co-operate with the local NHS FDP user organisation’s cyber, security, data protection, and incident management teams in the investigation, management, mitigation, rectification, restoration, and resolution of the incident in accordance with the NHS FDP Incident Management Protocol.

Brief details of all personal data breaches, including their root cause, will be reported by NHS England, the NHS FDP contractor, or the local NHS FDP user organisation, depending on who the controller and processor is in relation to the personal data breach, to the Data Governance Group. Each party will co-operate with the other impacted parties in the production of the reports.

A national consultation is currently underway to seek views on measures to improve children’s online safety across social media, gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence chatbots. The consultation forms part of the Government’s broader programme to understand how technology impacts children’s wellbeing, and what more can be done to help families strike the right balance. Insights from this consultation will help inform future policy to better protect children’s mental health and ensure that digital platforms play their part in promoting safe and healthy online experiences.

It is unacceptable that too many people, especially children and young people, are not getting the support they need for their mental health. We need a new approach to mental health that reduces waiting times, improves the quality of care, and strengthens prevention and early intervention.

The Government has made progress to expand access to mental health support. In the first 12 months of the Government, nearly 40,000 more children and young people received support compared to the previous 12 months. This is helped by over 8,000 extra mental health workers being recruited since July 2024, against a target of 8,500 by the end of this Parliament. The rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges is being accelerated so that 100% pupils in England will have access to this innovative early support by 2029. NHS England has also set clear expectations for integrated care boards to reduce the longest waits for children and young people’s community mental health services.

The Department recognises the importance of supporting people with serious mental health conditions to access and remain in employment.

Support to improve employment outcomes is embedded within NHS Talking Therapies services. Employment advisers are available in all NHS Talking Therapies services in England and work alongside therapists to provide tailored employment support alongside psychological therapy. In general, people referred for employment support are able to access this within four weeks, and where appropriate, employment support can be provided alongside therapy, or earlier where there is an urgent work-related issue.

For people with more severe mental illness, the Department is expanding the Individual Placement and Support programme so that 73,500 people can access this evidence-based service by March 2028.

More widely, the Department recognises that the fit note process is not working as effectively as it should in supporting people to manage health conditions at work. Through initiatives such as the WorkWell Primary Care Innovation Fund, local areas are piloting improved ways of connecting people to appropriate work and health support, helping to support earlier returns to work and reducing avoidable pressure on psychological therapy services. Wider work to better join up health and employment support includes initiatives such as Health and Growth Accelerators. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/funding-boost-to-support-patients-to-stay-in-and-return-to-work

The Government keeps the evidence on the relationship between social media use and mental health under close review and is committed to ensuring that children’s lives online are safe and enriching. A national consultation is currently underway to seek views on measures to improve children’s online safety across social media, gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence chatbots. The consultation forms part of the Government’s broader programme to understand how technology impacts children’s wellbeing, and what more can be done to help families strike the right balance. Insights from this consultation will help inform future policy to better protect children’s mental health and ensure that digital platforms play their part in promoting safe and healthy online experiences.

With regards to specific evidence reviews, in 2019, the UK Chief Medical Officers published a review of the evidence on screen-based activities and mental health, which concluded that while there is an association between social media use and mental wellbeing, the evidence did not indicate a causal relationship and highlighted the need for more high-quality research. Since then, the Government has continued to work closely with academic experts to review emerging evidence, including studies funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

In January 2026, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology published a research report titled Understanding the impact of smartphones and social media on children and young people, which found a lack of high-quality causal evidence linking children’s mental health and wellbeing and their use of social media. We will now be paying close attention to the recently announced IRL Trial, led by Professor Amy Orben, as this is the first large scale randomised controlled trial investigating how limiting access to social media might affect adolescent mental health.

While no such specific assessment has been made, more young people are being supported to access National Health Service mental health services. In the first 12 months of the Government, nearly 40,000 more children and young people received support compared to the previous 12 months. This is helped by over 8,000 extra mental health workers being recruited since July 2024.

Work is ongoing in NHS England to determine the adequacy of creative therapies, including art, music, dramatherapy, via the forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan. The plan is expected to be published later in the spring.

No assessment has been made of the impact of waiting times in accessing disability equipment on independent living. Local authorities (LAs) in England have a statutory duty under the Care Act 2014, and the Children and Families Act 2014, to make arrangements for the provision of disability aids and community equipment, to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area. Some LAs deliver this themselves but a significant number have external contracts for an integrated community equipment service.

Guidance to support the implementation of the Care Act 2014 states that community equipment, aids and adaptations can support reablement and promote independence contributing to preventing the needs for care and support.

Privacy by design is a core principle of the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP). NHS England constantly assesses privacy and data management through strict information governance processes detailed in the NHS Federated Data Platform Information Governance Framework. Data in the NHS FDP remains under National Health Service control at all times.

Palantir does not control the data in the platform, nor are they permitted to access, use, or share it for their own purposes.

The contract has strict stipulations about confidentiality, and there is governance in place to monitor delivery and usage. NHS England is the data controller of the national instance of the NHS FDP. Every hospital trust and integrated care board who has their own instance of the NHS FDP has complete control over who has access to their data platform.

NHS England maintains continuous monitoring of the NHS FDP contract, to ensure it meets expectations. The NHS FDP is a major national digital infrastructure programme and is formally part of the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). The NHS FDP programme is subject to the scrutiny, assurance, and value for money standards required of all GMPP programmes. NHS FDP’s whole life costs and benefits are assessed through the annual GMPP process.

The NHS FDP is subject to scrutiny by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the major projects review. NISTA’s latest data, published on 11 August 2025, sets out the projected benefits of NHS FDP at £777 million. The data records the Senior Responsible Owner Delivery Confidence rating as Green, the highest rating. The report is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025

Privacy by design is a core principle of the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP). NHS England constantly assesses privacy and data management through strict information governance processes detailed in the NHS Federated Data Platform Information Governance Framework. Data in the NHS FDP remains under National Health Service control at all times.

Palantir does not control the data in the platform, nor are they permitted to access, use, or share it for their own purposes.

The contract has strict stipulations about confidentiality, and there is governance in place to monitor delivery and usage. NHS England is the data controller of the national instance of the NHS FDP. Every hospital trust and integrated care board who has their own instance of the NHS FDP has complete control over who has access to their data platform.

NHS England maintains continuous monitoring of the NHS FDP contract, to ensure it meets expectations. The NHS FDP is a major national digital infrastructure programme and is formally part of the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). The NHS FDP programme is subject to the scrutiny, assurance, and value for money standards required of all GMPP programmes. NHS FDP’s whole life costs and benefits are assessed through the annual GMPP process.

The NHS FDP is subject to scrutiny by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the major projects review. NISTA’s latest data, published on 11 August 2025, sets out the projected benefits of NHS FDP at £777 million. The data records the Senior Responsible Owner Delivery Confidence rating as Green, the highest rating. The report is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusions on the market in the United Kingdom are safe, effective, and manufactured to the highest standards of quality. The Medical Devices Regulations 2002 (MDR 2002) established the statutory framework that medical devices, including cerebrospinal fluid shunts, must meet in order to comply with these standards.

The manufacturer is legally responsible for obtaining the necessary certification, registering their medical devices with the MHRA, the UK Competent Authority, and undertaking post-market surveillance. Higher risk medical devices are assessed and approved by Approved Bodies, for UKCA marking, or Notified Bodies, for CE marking. Manufacturers consider anticipated conditions within intended environments of use, such as those with high magnet fields, for instance magnetic resonance imaging, when designing and manufacturing devices. As part of meeting the requirements of the MDR 2002, manufacturers must provide instructions for use, including implant cards and implant information, any special operating instructions, any warnings and/or precautions to take, and precautions to be taken as regards exposure, in reasonably foreseeable environmental conditions, to magnetic fields.

The MHRA has published guidance on how electromagnetic interference can affect several types of medical devices that have electrical or electronic systems and mitigation steps. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electromagnetic-interference-sources/electromagnetic-interference-sources

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) collects data relating to National Health Service dispensing in the community. Prescriptions do not state the purpose for which they are written. There may be instances where medicines are used for other conditions.

The tables below set out Net Ingredient Costs (NIC). This is the basic price of a product excluding VAT. It does not take account of discounts, rebates, dispensing costs, fees and allowances paid to pharmacists and appliance contractors for the service they provide to the National Health Service, or prescription charge income received, where the single charge or prescription prepayment certificate fee is paid, or foregone where prescriptions are dispensed free of charge.

The following table shows the NIC for prescriptions for medicines eligible for the hormone replacement therapy prescription pre-payment certificate where gender is recorded in NHSBSA data as female, that were prescribed by NHS organisations in England and subsequently dispensed in the community, by year, from 2023 to 2025:

In addition, the following table shows the NIC for prescriptions for testosterone where gender is recorded in NHSBSA data as male, that were prescribed by NHS organisations in England and subsequently dispensed in the community, by year, from 2023 to 2025:

Source: the British National Formulary (BNF)

Note: Testosterone Replacement Therapy is not a named section within the BNF. Data the table is based on the products included in the BNF chemical substances of methyltestosterone, testosterone, testosterone enantate, testosterone propionate, testosterone undecanoate, and testosterone esters.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines and licence extensions for existing medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims wherever possible to issue guidance for the NHS on new medicines close to the time of licensing, and cancer drugs are eligible for funding from the point of a positive draft NICE recommendation.

The BREAKWATER study is investigating encorafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, in combination with cetuximab and fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for the potential treatment of colorectal cancer. This regimen does not currently have a United Kingdom marketing authorisation for use in the treatment of previously untreated BRAF V600E mutation positive metastatic colorectal cancer. NICE has prioritised an appraisal of encorafenib for this indication in anticipation of it being granted a UK marketing authorisation and will schedule the appraisal so that guidance can be published as close as possible to the expected licensing date. Further information on the appraisal’s status is publicly available on NICE’s website at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/awaiting-development/gid-ta11961

The clinical trial was assessed and approved in the UK and is currently active, with further information available at the following link:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04607421?term=BREAKWATER&viewType=Card&rank=1

The National Health Service Integrated Community Stroke Service model sets out that rehabilitation should begin as soon as the patient is medically stable, often within 24 to 72 hours following discharge. Rehabilitation should be tailored to the individual's needs, focusing on regaining independence, improving mobility, and managing cognitive or emotional changes.

Access to community-based stroke rehabilitation services has increased across England, for instance access to Early Supported Discharge/community stroke teams has increased from 64.5% in October 2024 to 67.5% in September 2025.

NHS England is supporting improvements through funding for 20 Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks and the Stroke Quality Improvement for Rehabilitation network, embedded in each NHS England region.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to improving services for patients locally by increasing the provision of services outside of a hospital setting that are delivered closer to home in the community.

The National Stroke Service Model provides best practice for stroke care, including post-discharge, which should include comprehensive rehabilitation and personalised care and support.

The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home.

NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England to the equivalence of the community. Access to drug or alcohol withdrawal support is available in all prisons at any stage of a person’s sentence, beginning at the point of entry.

NHS England commissions first night reception screening to review patients’ medical history by a registered nurse/practitioner, the purpose is to address immediate health needs and risks, with specific consideration of intoxication and withdrawal risks, including delayed withdrawal symptoms, ensure medication is made available as soon as possible and onward referrals to onsite healthcare teams, including drug and alcohol services for psychosocial interventions and primary care for ongoing pharmacological interventions, for both urgent face to face appointments, and routine face to face appointments are made.

Outside of reception screening, people in prison can be referred or self-refer to drug and alcohol or primary care health services at any time for support with withdrawal. The current national integrated substance misuse service specification includes specific focus on clinical stabilisation and detoxification for patients withdrawing from drugs and/or alcohol, ensuring that interventions are safe, risk aware, clinically led, evidence based and follow national guidance - including the recently published clinical guidance for alcohol treatment.

NHS England recognises the vital role occupational therapists play across the health and care system and is committed to supporting a skilled, sustainable workforce.

Post registration training and development for occupational therapists is the responsibility of employers and is aligned to identified service requirements and individual learning needs. This support spans the full career pathway, including preceptorship or foundation practice for newly registered staff, enhanced and advanced practice roles, and consultant level practice.

Employers are supported through a range of funded and accredited education and training routes. National Health Service trusts receive a dedicated Continued Professional Development funding allocation to enable registered allied health professionals, including occupational therapists, to access ongoing learning and skills development. In addition, a range of education and training grants are available, with funding routes and levels aligned to staff grade and stage of development. Training opportunities are designed to support priority service areas such as community and neighbourhood services, mental health, elective recovery, and population health, while also enabling occupational therapists to develop leadership, advanced clinical, education, and research capabilities.

These arrangements ensure occupational therapists are supported to maintain and enhance their skills throughout their careers, respond to service needs, and deliver safe, effective, and high-quality care.

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.

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.

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.

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.