Department of Health and Social Care

The independent maternity and neonatal investigation will produce an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025. The investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in Spring 2026.

No formal assessment has been made of any industrial action by resident doctors from 14 to 19 November 2025.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure that by March 2029 we return to the standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. The Government is clear that reforming elective care must be done equitably and inclusively for all adults, children, and young people, and across all services, including dermatology.

One of the ways we are improving access to services, including dermatology, is through NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, which runs a Further Faster programme to deliver rapid clinical transformation with the aim of reducing 52-week waits. It brings together hospital trust clinicians and operational teams to transform patient pathways, helping to reduce waiting lists despite the increase in dermatology demand. It focuses on increasing the use of Advice and Guidance and technology such as teledermatology alongside reducing non-attendance in clinics and unnecessary follow-up appointments.

GIRFT has developed a number of practices to ensure high quality care, such as the standardised best practice pathways for dermatological conditions, to ensure that patients have the shortest route to see the right person the first time. GIRFT provides resources so general practitioners can manage patients in community care without needing to wait for hospital referral, and offers direct, targeted support, working with trusts and integrated care boards who have approached GIRFT for support. Further information on the standardised best practice pathways for dermatological conditions is available at the following link:

https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/medical_specialties/dermatology/#dermatology

As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure that by March 2029 we return to the standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. The Government is clear that reforming elective care must be done equitably and inclusively for all adults, children, and young people, and across all services, including dermatology.

One of the ways we are improving access to services, including dermatology, is through NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, which runs a Further Faster programme to deliver rapid clinical transformation with the aim of reducing 52-week waits. It brings together hospital trust clinicians and operational teams to transform patient pathways, helping to reduce waiting lists despite the increase in dermatology demand. It focuses on increasing the use of Advice and Guidance and technology such as teledermatology alongside reducing non-attendance in clinics and unnecessary follow-up appointments.

GIRFT has developed a number of practices to ensure high quality care, such as the standardised best practice pathways for dermatological conditions, to ensure that patients have the shortest route to see the right person the first time. GIRFT provides resources so general practitioners can manage patients in community care without needing to wait for hospital referral, and offers direct, targeted support, working with trusts and integrated care boards who have approached GIRFT for support. Further information on the standardised best practice pathways for dermatological conditions is available at the following link:

https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/medical_specialties/dermatology/#dermatology

Integrated care boards (ICBs), as set out in NHS England statutory guidance published 9 May 2023, are expected to assign an executive lead role for learning disability and autism to a suitable board member. The named lead is expected to support the board in planning to meet the needs of its local people with a learning disability and its local autistic people and to have effective oversight of, and support improvements in, the quality of care for people in a mental health, learning disability and autism.

There are clear expectations of ICBs in relation to care and support provision for people with a learning disability and autistic people, and they are held accountable through existing governance processes. The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October, sets out priorities for ICBs and providers on learning disability and autism, including reducing health inequalities and reliance on mental health inpatient care. ICBs report their spend on Learning Disability and Autism Services as part of routine financial reporting, monitored by NHS England. The Model ICB Blueprint sets out the direction of travel for the role and functions of ICBs in relation to commissioning services for the needs of their local population. There is a range of best practice guidance available and published to support ICBs to commission services for people with a learning disability.

The safety of blood is of the upmost importance. Patients that receive blood donations can be particularly vulnerable to infections. In the United Kingdom, the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 mandate permanent deferral from blood donation for anyone with a history of non-prescribed intravenous or intramuscular drug use. The Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 are available at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/50/schedule/part/3/paragraph/2n3

This is also reflected in the Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee (JPAC) guidelines, the Addiction and Drug Abuse guideline and the Blood Safety Entry guideline, which are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://transfusionguidelines.org/dsg/wb/guidelines/ad001-addiction-and-drug-abuse

https://www.transfusionguidelines.org/dsg/wb/guidelines/bl008-blood-safety-entry

Injections can carry a risk of blood-borne illness. To preserve the safety of patients who receive blood donations, measures are taken to reduce the risk of transmitting blood-borne infections, including cleanliness and safety standards. However, as tanning injections are not well regulated, measures that would normally be used to prevent blood-borne infection cannot be assessed.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends a maximum waiting time of 13 weeks between a referral for an autism assessment and a first appointment. There is no wait standard for referral for an autism assessment to receiving a diagnosis of autism, and NICE guidelines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis and management do not recommend a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of ADHD to the assessment being provided.

NICE guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. They are not mandatory, but National Health Service commissioners are expected to take them fully into account in designing services to meet the needs of their local populations.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October, was explicit that integrated care boards (ICBs) and providers are expected to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for autism and ADHD assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing existing and new guidance, as published.

NHS England publishes quarterly statistical data on waiting times within autism diagnostic pathways, which remain under constant review. This data is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/autism-statistics

For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD assessment waiting times at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan, and it has also released technical guidance to ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits and diagnosis data as well as publishing more localised data in future.

The most recent data, published in August 2025 and is available on the NHS England website, at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-adhd/august-2025

Data in this publication is sourced from a number of existing NHS England datasets, and the publication is known to contain a number of data quality issues, further details of which can be found at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-adhd/supporting-information

The safety of blood is of the upmost importance. Patients that receive blood donations can be particularly vulnerable to infections. In the United Kingdom, the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 mandate permanent deferral from blood donation for anyone with a history of non-prescribed intravenous or intramuscular drug use. The Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 are available at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/50/schedule/part/3/paragraph/2n3

This includes those in receipt of tanning injections, for any period prior to donation. NHS Blood and Transplant has provided guidance on blood safety by the Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee (JPAC). JPAC guidance reflects the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 in the Addiction and Drug Abuse guideline and the Blood Safety Entry guideline, which are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://transfusionguidelines.org/dsg/wb/guidelines/ad001-addiction-and-drug-abuse

https://www.transfusionguidelines.org/dsg/wb/guidelines/bl008-blood-safety-entry

Injections can carry a risk of blood-borne illness. To preserve the safety of patients who receive blood donations, measures are taken to reduce the risk of transmitting blood-borne infections, including cleanliness and safety standards. However, as tanning injections are not well regulated, measures that would normally be used to prevent blood-borne infection cannot be assessed.

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 recently published 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC will be providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs and how we can improve patients’ experience of clinical negligence claims, ahead of a review by the Department in the autumn. 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. 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 recently published 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC will be providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs and how we can improve patients’ experience of clinical negligence claims, ahead of a review by the Department in the autumn. 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. 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 recently published 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC will be providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs and how we can improve patients’ experience of clinical negligence claims, ahead of a review by the Department in the autumn. 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. 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 recently published 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC will be providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs and how we can improve patients’ experience of clinical negligence claims, ahead of a review by the Department in the autumn. 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. The Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps, in due course.

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.

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.

We have made no such assessment, although it is recognised that misophonia can adversely affect a person’s ability to achieve life goals, communicate effectively, and enjoy social situations, and that this can have an impact on individuals’ mental health.

The National Health Service continues to support further expansion of talking therapies and the transformation of community mental health services so they can adopt an open, 'no wrong door' approach to helping people based upon their presenting needs rather than requiring a particular diagnosis. This is being built upon through the 10-Year Health Plan's commitment to roll out new 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres which will provide open door access to support without the need for a general practitioner referral or appointment.

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 and NHS England do not hold the information requested.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for determining whether its guidelines should be reviewed or updated in the light of new evidence. NICE takes a proactive approach to surveillance, monitoring for changes in the evidence base that may impact on its recommendations. Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process. Decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by a prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s chief medical officer.

NICE’s guidelines on the diagnosis and management of type 1 diabetes in adults, with the reference code NG17, diabetes, including both type 1 and type 2, in children and young people, with the reference code NG18, and the recognition and treatment of eating disorders, with the reference code NG69, will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations. NICE currently has no plans to update NG17, NG18, or NG69.

Plant-based drinks are currently not covered by the legislation on the Nursery Milk Scheme, which only allows reimbursement to be made for cow’s milk and infant formula based on cow’s milk.

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and the Committee on Toxicity published an assessment on plant-based drinks in July 2025. This assessment made a number of recommendations to the Government and industry about plant-based drinks which may be considered suitable for children in terms of fortification and sweetening.

The Government does not currently have plans to provide dairy-free alternatives as part of the Nursery Milk Scheme. However, the Department is considering the Committee’s recommendations.

No direct assessment has been made, however any decision to uplift dental patient charges is accompanied by an equalities impact assessment and informed by patient demographic data from the NHS Annual Dental Statistics and the GP Patient Survey NHS dentistry questions, with further information on both available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425

https://gp-patient.co.uk/surveysandreports

The National Health Service dental patient charge is a contribution to the cost of the NHS dental treatment the patient receives. Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria:

• under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;
• pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months;
• being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges; or
• receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits.

Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/

Decisions about what medicines to prescribe are best made by the doctor or healthcare professional responsible for that part of the patient’s care. Prescribers are supported in their decisions by national guidance, for example guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards (ICBs).

NICE is the independent body responsible for translating evidence into authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the health and care system on best practice, in order to drive improved outcomes for patients. NICE has made recommendations on hysteroscopy in its guideline on heavy menstrual bleeding: assessment and management, reference code NG88, but does not make recommendations on whether pain relief, such as methoxyflurane, should be administered during hysteroscopy. NICE currently has no plans to update the guideline but it will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicine, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring that medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.

Northwest Biotherapeutics has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the MHRA for DCVax®-L, an immunotherapy for glioblastoma. The MHRA are unable to comment on applications during the process of review, but the MHRA can confirm that this application is not affected by any backlogs.

The Department recognises the importance of providing the public with accurate health information and preventing misinformation. We are also committed to working with people with lived experience of autism to ensure that policies are designed to meet the needs of autistic people and makes their lives better.

The Department regularly rebuts factual inaccuracies when they appear in traditional media and undertakes extensive planning, engagement, and strategic work to ensure accurate public health information is available on social media channels to mitigate misinformation. In addition, the Department strives to ensure that the information it publishes is accurate, clear, and accessible to a variety of audiences, including using easy read versions.

The training and education programmes will be rolled out to all National Health Service organisations and for all NHS staff over the next two and a half years. The programmes will share best practice about how the NHS can identify and support patients with an Armed Forces background.

By the end of 2026, the target is for all board members of integrated care boards and Department national commissioning teams to have completed Armed Forces healthcare specific training. In addition, by the end of 2026, the ambition is for 200,000 NHS staff in England to have completed the training.

By 2028, the ambition is for 400,000 NHS staff to have completed Armed Forces healthcare specific training. Performance will be reviewed against ambitions regularly, and appropriate changes will be made to the programme so that uptake continually increases.

The training and education programmes will be rolled out to all National Health Service organisations and for all NHS staff over the next two and a half years. The programmes will share best practice about how the NHS can identify and support patients with an Armed Forces background.

By the end of 2026, the target is for all board members of integrated care boards and Department national commissioning teams to have completed Armed Forces healthcare specific training. In addition, by the end of 2026, the ambition is for 200,000 NHS staff in England to have completed the training.

By 2028, the ambition is for 400,000 NHS staff to have completed Armed Forces healthcare specific training. Performance will be reviewed against ambitions regularly, and appropriate changes will be made to the programme so that uptake continually increases.

The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe.

Additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.

The MHRA is aware of general concerns in relation to the presence of asbestos in talcum powder, however, pharmaceutical grade talc has strict controls on the presence of asbestos. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for Purified Talc states that “Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not suitable for pharmaceutical use”. Furthermore, testing is required to confirm the absence of asbestos.

The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe.

Additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.

The MHRA is aware of general concerns in relation to the presence of asbestos in talcum powder, however, pharmaceutical grade talc has strict controls on the presence of asbestos. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for Purified Talc states that “Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not suitable for pharmaceutical use”. Furthermore, testing is required to confirm the absence of asbestos.

Hinchingbrooke Hospital is part of the North West Anglia Foundation Trust (NWAFT). All National Health Service trusts complete an annual self-assessment of their digital maturity against the seven dimensions of the What Good Looks Like framework. The results of this assessment have not yet been released. Further information is available on the What Good Looks Like framework at the following link:

https://transform.england.nhs.uk/digitise-connect-transform/what-good-looks-like/what-good-looks-like-publication/

NHS England is supporting NWAFT to produce a robust and affordable Outline Business Case to procure an Electronic Patient Record that meets the core capabilities set out by the NHS England Frontline Digitisation programme. This includes providing procurement support, subject matter expertise, and funding, including both capital and revenue. NHS England has provided £9.7 million to support NWAFT with these activities to date.

Hinchingbrooke Hospital is part of the North West Anglia Foundation Trust (NWAFT). All National Health Service trusts complete an annual self-assessment of their digital maturity against the seven dimensions of the What Good Looks Like framework. The results of this assessment have not yet been released. Further information is available on the What Good Looks Like framework at the following link:

https://transform.england.nhs.uk/digitise-connect-transform/what-good-looks-like/what-good-looks-like-publication/

NHS England is supporting NWAFT to produce a robust and affordable Outline Business Case to procure an Electronic Patient Record that meets the core capabilities set out by the NHS England Frontline Digitisation programme. This includes providing procurement support, subject matter expertise, and funding, including both capital and revenue. NHS England has provided £9.7 million to support NWAFT with these activities to date.

This topic has not yet been referred to NHS England for a commercial negotiation by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). This is because the NICE appraisal process has not yet concluded and the preferred assumptions of the independent NICE committee on the comparative benefits and health and care related costs of vorasidenib following consultation have not yet been confirmed.

NHS England has signalled a willingness to engage in discussions with Servier pending further information following the second NICE appraisal committee meeting scheduled for 20 November, which will help to determine what, if any, approach to commercial arrangements, or managed access arrangements may be appropriate for this topic.

Since 1 January 2021, 118 contracts with a value of £5 million or more have been awarded by the Department.

The Government is increasing the Department’s capital budgets to over £14.6 billion by the end of the Spending Review period for 2029/30, to invest into the National Health Service and wider health infrastructure, including elective care. This will deliver the largest ever health capital budget, representing a more than 20% real terms increase by the end of the Spending Review period.

We are investing £6 billion of capital over five years for diagnostic, elective, and urgent and emergency capacity in the NHS. This includes £1.65 billion in 2025/26 for investments aimed at improving NHS secondary and emergency care performance against constitutional standards, £330 million of which has been indicatively allocated for elective care. This funding includes the expansion or creation of surgical or elective hubs.

Regional indicative capital allocations for 2026/27 to 2029/30, including elective care, will be published imminently following publication of the NHS capital planning guidance for 2026/27 to 2029/30. These regional allocations will form the basis for integrated care board and provider planning.

Currently, National Health Service employees who are a member of the NHS pension scheme pay between 5.2% and 12.5% of earnings as an employee contribution. In addition, the current employer's contribution rate is 23.78%. As set out in the NHS Pension Scheme Consultancy, the Government Actuary's Department increased the employer contribution rate by 6.3% in 2019, from 14.38%, and this increased further by 3.1% from 2024 as a result of the 2016 and 2020 actuarial valuations. To alleviate cost pressures on employers and efficiently implement the increases, NHS England transacts the 9.4% increase in employer pensions contribution. This means whilst the full 23.78% rate is paid, 14.38% continues to be paid by employers and 9.4% by NHS England, which is supported by an increase in the NHS England Mandate. This arrangement will be reviewed with each subsequent revaluation. Further information on the NHS Pension Scheme Consultancy is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ca226aded915d0c486abb23/nhs-pension-scheme-consultation-response.pdf

To be able to legally work as a nurse in the United Kingdom, individuals must be fully registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The NMC sets the standards that must be met by domestic and international nurses and midwives wishing to be added to the UK register. The NMC sets these standards to ensure registrants are safe to practise and patients receive a high standard of care.

The NMC is updating its pre-registration education programme standards to allow more students to join its register with the skills for safe and effective care. In January 2025, the NMC’s Council approved five key areas for its pre-registration practice learning review. Consultations on changes will take place in early 2026, with new standards effective by September 2026.

In 2023, legislative changes made by the Department to the NMC’s regulatory framework provided the regulator with full flexibility to recognise qualifications for international applicants from around the world. Our regulatory reform programme will further modernise the regulatory frameworks for all the UK healthcare professional regulators, starting with the General Medical Council. This will guide reforms for other healthcare regulators, including the NMC, with plans for implementation within this Parliament.

Same-day elective procedures, or day surgeries, allow patients to be treated and discharged on the same day, helping to reduce waiting times, minimising cancellations due to bed pressures, and supporting patients to recover more quickly, in the comfort of their own home.

To expand same-day capability, we are investing in dedicated elective surgical hubs focused on high-volume, low-complexity procedures. These hubs improve productivity and support more patients to return home the same day, in line with the Right Procedure, Right Place principles.

There are currently 124 operational hubs in England, 23 of which have opened since the Government took office. Over the next three years, we are committed to increasing the number of hubs to boost surgical capacity and deliver faster access to common procedures.

NHS England also continues to run the Getting It Right First Time programme, as part of which trusts are supported to maximise hub productivity and increase the proportion of inpatient procedures completed as day surgeries.

In the very rare event where an individual may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine, care and treatment will be managed by National Health Service local specialist services, augmented as appropriate by national specialist advice, with any treatment dependent on the individual’s clinical needs.

The Government remains committed to research to improve the diagnosis and treatment in those rare cases where individuals may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Since the start of the pandemic, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has allocated more than £110 million of funding for COVID-19 vaccine research, including consideration of issues around vaccine safety. As part of this, the Department commissioned a £1.6 million programme of work through the NIHR, to understand the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of COVID-19 vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome, a rare condition of blood clotting with low platelets following vaccination for COVID-19.

In the very rare event where an individual may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine, care and treatment will be managed by National Health Service local specialist services, augmented as appropriate by national specialist advice, with any treatment dependent on the individual’s clinical needs.

The Government remains committed to research to improve the diagnosis and treatment in those rare cases where individuals may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Since the start of the pandemic, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has allocated more than £110 million of funding for COVID-19 vaccine research, including consideration of issues around vaccine safety. As part of this, the Department commissioned a £1.6 million programme of work through the NIHR, to understand the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of COVID-19 vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome, a rare condition of blood clotting with low platelets following vaccination for COVID-19.

Each year, over 15 million people are invited for screening, with over 10 million taking up the invitation. In total, this saves approximately 10,000 lives every year and enables many others to make better informed decisions around their health.

The Government delivers 11 screening programmes to detect 33 treatable conditions. The antenatal screening programme also provides information for couples about their baby.

On 14 October 2025, NHS England announced that newborn screening for the rare, life-threatening metabolic disorder hereditary tyrosinaemia type 1 is now being offered to all babies in England.

In early 2026, screening providers will also be able to offer human papillomavirus self-sampling kits to under-screened individuals in the National Health Service cervical screening programme in England. Evidence suggests that self-sampling will increase the numbers engaging with the screening programme.

In addition to this, the Government continues to deliver the NHS Health Check, a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease prevention programme, which aims to detect those at risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease for people aged between 40 to 74 years old. In 2024/25, the NHS Health Check engaged over 1.4 million people and prevented an estimated 500 heart attacks and strokes. To improve access to the programme we are piloting an online NHS Health Check so that people can undertake a check at a time and place convenient to them.

Employers across the NHS have their own arrangements in place for supporting their staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and board level scrutiny through health and wellbeing guardians.

We will also roll out Staff Treatment hubs to ensure that staff have access to high quality support for mental health and back conditions.

At a national level, NHS England has made additional support available. This includes a focus on healthy working environments, tools and resources to support line managers to hold meaningful conversations with staff to discuss their wellbeing, and emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.

The majority of patients with asthma are managed by general practitioners and members of the primary care team, with onward referrals to secondary care where required. The provision of annual reviews is incentivised in primary care through the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). Further details on the QOF asthma indicators are available in the QOF guidance, a copy of which is attached.

In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the British Thoracic Society, and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network published the guideline Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management, in November 2024, which covers diagnosing, monitoring, and managing asthma in adults, young people, and children. NHS England has also been working jointly with the Health Innovation Networks to form a national respiratory partnership to improve asthma outcomes, including through implementation of this asthma guideline.

The Department takes the challenge of health misinformation seriously and recognises its potential impact on public health outcomes. We focus on delivering consistent, clinically assured messaging that builds public trust and confidence, positioning the Department and the National Health Service as reliable sources of health information and advice.

To reduce the risks of sudden cardiac death, NHS England has a published a national service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease or as families requiring follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for specialised Inherited Cardiac Conditions services to investigate suspected cases.