Department of Health and Social Care

We support ministers in leading the nation’s health and social care to help people live more independent, healthier lives for longer.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

Wes Streeting
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Helen Morgan (LD - North Shropshire)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Danny Chambers (LD - Winchester)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Mental Health)
Lord Scriven (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Health)

Scottish National Party
Seamus Logan (SNP - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)

Green Party
Adrian Ramsay (Green - Waveney Valley)
Green Spokesperson (Health)

Conservative
Stuart Andrew (Con - Daventry)
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Lord Kamall (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Caroline Johnson (Con - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Luke Evans (Con - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Health and Social Care)
Ministers of State
Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg)
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Karin Smyth (Lab - Bristol South)
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ashley Dalton (Lab - West Lancashire)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Zubir Ahmed (Lab - Glasgow South West)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Thursday 16th October 2025
Select Committee Docs
Wednesday 15th October 2025
16:28
Select Committee Inquiry
Thursday 17th July 2025
Food and Weight Management

The Committee is holding an inquiry into food and weight management, including treatments for obesity.

 

In 2022, …

Written Answers
Thursday 16th October 2025
Fluoride: Drinking Water
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the extension of community …
Secondary Legislation
Wednesday 10th September 2025
Advertising (Less Healthy Food and Drink) (Brand Advertising Exemption) Regulations 2025
These Regulations provide an exemption to the restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink products imposed in …
Bills
Wednesday 6th November 2024
Mental Health Bill [HL] 2024-26
A Bill to make provision to amend the Mental Health Act 1983 in relation to mentally disordered persons; and for …
Dept. Publications
Thursday 16th October 2025
17:40

Department of Health and Social Care Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Jul. 22
Oral Questions
Oct. 15
Urgent Questions
Oct. 15
Westminster Hall
Oct. 16
Adjournment Debate
View All Department of Health and Social Care Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Department of Health and Social Care does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Department of Health and Social Care has not passed any Acts during the 2024 Parliament

Department of Health and Social Care - Secondary Legislation

These Regulations provide an exemption to the restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink products imposed in standards set under section 321A or in sections 368FA and 368Z14 of the Communications Act 2003 (c. 21) (“the 2003 Act”), as inserted by the Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31). The exemption is for brand advertisements, which are defined in these Regulations.
These Regulations require public bodies in England to undertake an assessment of the risk that modern slavery or human trafficking is taking place in relation to the supply of any good or service which is being procured for the health service in England (see regulations 4, 5 and 6), and which is not excluded from the scope of the Regulations by regulation 3(2).
View All Department of Health and Social Care Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

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Petitions with most signatures
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88,471 Signatures
(114 in the last 7 days)
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18,614 Signatures
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Department of Health and Social Care has not participated in any petition debates
View All Department of Health and Social Care Petitions

Departmental Select Committee

Health and Social Care Committee

Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.

At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.

Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.


11 Members of the Health and Social Care Committee
Layla Moran Portrait
Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 9th September 2024
Gregory Stafford Portrait
Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Joe Robertson Portrait
Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Paulette Hamilton Portrait
Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Josh Fenton-Glynn Portrait
Josh Fenton-Glynn (Labour - Calder Valley)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Jen Craft Portrait
Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Beccy Cooper Portrait
Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Ben Coleman Portrait
Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Danny Beales Portrait
Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Andrew George Portrait
Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Alex McIntyre Portrait
Alex McIntyre (Labour - Gloucester)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 17th March 2025
Health and Social Care Committee: Upcoming Events
Health and Social Care Committee - Oral evidence
Sexual Health Services in England
22 Oct 2025, 9:15 a.m.
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Health and Social Care Committee: Previous Inquiries
Department's White Paper on health and social care Pre-appointment hearing for the role of Chair of NICE Supporting those with dementia and their carers Social care: funding and workforce General Practice Data for Planning and Research Omicron variant update Long term funding of adult social care inquiry Delivering Core NHS and Care Services during the Pandemic and Beyond Maternity services inquiry Planning for winter pressure in A&E departments inquiry NHS England current issues evidence session Suicide prevention inquiry Professional Standards Authority one off evidence session Department of Health and NHS finances Brexit and health and social care inquiry Impact of the Spending Review on health and social care Impact of membership of the EU on health policy in the UK Long-term Sustainability of the NHS - Report of the House of Lords Committee inquiry Pre-Appointment hearing for Chair of National Health Service Improvement Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services inquiry Work of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Integrated care: organisations, partnerships and systems inquiry Brexit – medicines, medical devices and substances of human origin inquiry Work of NHS England and NHS Improvement inquiry Nursing workforce inquiry Children and young people's mental health - role of education inquiry Care Quality Commission accountability inquiry Childhood obesity: follow-up Sustainability and Transformation Plans inquiry Care Quality Commission's State of Care Report 2018-19 inquiry National Audit Office's Report on Investigation into pre-school vaccination inquiry Childhood obesity follow-up 2019 inquiry NHS Capital inquiry Dentistry Services inquiry Government’s review of NHS overseas visitor charging inquiry Harding Review of health and social care workforce inquiry Kark Report inquiry Drugs policy inquiry Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis inquiry Suicide prevention: follow-up inquiry Availability of Orkambi on the NHS inquiry Budget and NHS long-term plan inquiry Impact of the Brexit withdrawal agreement on health and social care inquiry Impact of a no deal Brexit on health and social care inquiry Patient safety and gross negligence manslaughter in healthcare inquiry Care Quality Commission inquiry First 1000 days of life inquiry Sexual health inquiry NHS funding inquiry Pre-Appointment hearing for Chair of NHS England NMC and Furness General Hospital inquiry NHS Long-term Plan: legislative proposals inquiry Childhood obesity inquiry Antimicrobial resistance inquiry Prison healthcare inquiry Alcohol minimum unit pricing inquiry Memorandum of understanding on data-sharing inquiry Implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 Management of long-term conditions Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Emergency services and emergency care Post-legislative scrutiny of the Mental Health Act 2007 Nursing Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Care Quality Commission National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Public Expenditure Social Care Government's Alcohol Strategy Responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Health Commissioning Revalidation of Doctors Complaints and Litigation Follow-up inquiry into Commissioning Public Health Annual accountability hearing with the General Medical Council Annual accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Annual accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission Annual accountability hearing with Monitor Report of the NHS Future Forum Public Expenditure 2 Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the NHS Commissioning Board Education, training and workforce planning Professional responsibility of Healthcare practitioners PIP breast implants and regulation of cosmetic interventions Accountability hearing with Monitor (2012) Public expenditure on health and care services Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of NICE Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry Care Quality Commission 2013 accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Pre-appointment hearing for the Chair of Monitor 2013 accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission End of Life Care The impact of physical activity and diet on health 2015 accountability hearing with the General Medical Council 2015 accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council One-off session on the Ebola virus 2014 accountability hearing with Monitor 2014 accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission Public expenditure on health and social care 2015 accountability hearing with the General Dental Council Accident and emergency services Children's oral health Current issues in NHS England inquiry Primary care inquiry Work of the Secretary of State for Health inquiry Childhood obesity inquiry Public health post-2013 inquiry Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Care Quality Commission Establishment and work of NHS Improvement inquiry Children's and adolescent mental health and CAMHS Integrated Care Pioneers Complaints and raising concerns Handling of NHS patient data Urgent and Emergency Care Public expenditure on health and social care inquiry 2013 accountability hearing with Monitor Public Health England Health and Care Professions Council 2013 accountability hearing with the General Medical Council Work of NICE Work of NHS England Safety of maternity services in England Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care Work of the Department Digital transformation in the NHS Integrated Care Systems: autonomy and accountability IMDDS Review follow up one-off session Assisted dying/assisted suicide NHS dentistry Ambulance delays and strikes The situation in accident and emergency departments Prevention in health and social care Future cancer Pharmacy Men's health Management of the Coronavirus Outbreak Preparations for Coronavirus NHS leadership, performance and patient safety Adult Social Care Reform: The Cost of Inaction The 10 Year Health Plan Community Mental Health Services The First 1000 Days: a renewed focus Healthy Ageing: physical activity in an ageing society Food and Weight Management Coronavirus: recent developments Availability of Orkambi on the NHS Childhood obesity follow-up 2019 Dentistry Services Drugs policy Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis First 1000 days of life Budget and NHS long-term plan Care Quality Commission's State of Care Report 2018-19 Harding Review of health and social care workforce National Audit Office's Report on Investigation into pre-school vaccination NHS Capital NHS Long-term Plan: legislative proposals Government’s review of NHS overseas visitor charging Sexual health Calls for cases of GP visa issues Long term funding of adult social care Memorandum of understanding on data-sharing Work of NHS England and NHS Improvement Work of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the extension of community water fluoridation (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

Water fluoridation at levels recommended in the United Kingdom is a safe and effective intervention to reduce tooth decay and inequalities in dental health.

The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for National Health Service recovery and reform prioritises prevention.

As part of this strategy, the Government is expanding fluoridation schemes in north east England, aiming to reach 1.6 million more people by April 2030. We will assess further rollout in areas where oral health outcomes are worst.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many officials are assigned to work in the secretariat of the independent commission into adult social care.

There are currently 11 officials assigned to work in the secretariat of the independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey. This secretariat may expand as the commission carries out its work, and as Baroness Casey considers what further skills and expertise she needs.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the implementation of the 10 Year Health Plan will help tackle inequalities in the commissioning of hospice services.

We know that there are inequalities in access to palliative care and end of life care and we are looking at how best to reduce these. The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
1st Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his polices of regional variances in GP surgery expansion approvals under the integrated care board-led funding mechanism.

Primary care funding is formulated within NHS England allocations, which account for elements of population growth and other factors such as weighted need. The allocations process uses a statistical formula to make geographic distribution fair and objective, so that it more clearly reflects local healthcare need and helps to reduce health inequalities. Integrated care boards prioritise how the funding is used, based on local factors and determinants.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to protect access to (a) preventive and (b) community health services in (i) Teignmouth, (ii) Dawlish and (iii) other areas affected by planned reductions in funding in NHS Devon.

The National Health Service in Devon is committed to working with partners and stakeholders to develop sustainable services that promote prevention and community-based care, within its financial allocation. NHS Devon remains firmly committed to delivering services that are not only high-quality and person-centred, but also financially sustainable.

NHS Devon’s five-year Health and Care Strategy will be published shortly, which sets out clear priorities to improve prevention and early intervention, integrate services more effectively, and support people to manage their own health and wellbeing. Central to this transformation is the adoption of a new three-tier model of delivery – Neighbourhoods, Place, and Specialist Settings – designed to integrate care around local populations and reduce reliance on acute services.

NHS Devon is also in the process of developing plans with partners across the NHS, social care and voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to create a new approach for the delivery of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams locally, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of restoring the village GP.

The Government is committed to bringing back the family doctor for patients who would likely benefit from seeing the same clinician regularly. In doing so, we will improve continuity of care, which is associated with better health outcomes and fewer Accident and Emergency attendances.

Through our 10-Year Health Plan, it will be easier and faster to see a general practitioner. We will end the 8am scramble for appointments, train more doctors and guarantee consultations within 24 hours for those who need one. These measures will help practices offer both continuity where it’s needed and timely access for all patients.

We will give integrated care boards as commissioners the power to determine what is best for their local population and will not gatekeep specific arrangements. We will work with the profession to ensure the benefits of at scale working and continuity are combined effectively.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how new GP surgeries will be set up under his 10 Year Health Plan.

Our aim of establishing a Neighbourhood Health Centre (NHC) in every community, open at least 12 hours a day and 6 days a week, and with services that are fully data and digitally enabled, will revitalise access to general practice.

To establish NHCs, we will use public capital to update and refurbish existing, under-used buildings, maximising value for money and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most. Integrated care boards will be key as strategic commissioners in identifying where NHCs are required and defining their requirements in the context of other supporting infrastructure in the local area.

We are investing an additional £102 million of capital funding to upgrade existing general practice premises this year. Further details about how we will deliver NHCs and continue to invest in general practice will be confirmed in due course.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of pharmacy provision in rural areas.

The Government recognises that pharmacies, including in Ely and East Cambridgeshire, are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.

Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, ICBs can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes and can fund the contract from the ICBs’ budgets. In some rural areas where a pharmacy may not be viable, local general practices are permitted to dispense medicines to their patients. In addition, patients can choose to access medicines through any of the distance selling pharmacies that are required to deliver the medicines they dispense free of charge, and which also provide other pharmaceutical services remotely.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that communities have access to local pharmacies.

The Government recognises that pharmacies, including in Ely and East Cambridgeshire, are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.

Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, ICBs can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes and can fund the contract from the ICBs’ budgets. In some rural areas where a pharmacy may not be viable, local general practices are permitted to dispense medicines to their patients. In addition, patients can choose to access medicines through any of the distance selling pharmacies that are required to deliver the medicines they dispense free of charge, and which also provide other pharmaceutical services remotely.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many face-to-face GP appointments were there in each of the past three years.

In the past three years, the number of face-to-face GP appointments were as follows:

  • 12 months to August 2023: 100.1 million appointments
  • 12 months to August 2024: 101.2 million appointments
  • 12 months to August 2025: 99 million appointments

These appointments do not include COVID-19 vaccinations, and a small number of Primary Care Network appointments that could not be allocated to an integrated care board have been excluded.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of Community Integrated Care's report entitled The Caring Economy – Unfair To Care 2025, published on 12 March 2025.

We appreciate the work undertaken and the findings presented in the Unfair to Care 2025 report. We are committed to supporting adult social care workers, turning the page on decades of low pay and insecurity. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce.

The Impact Assessment for the Employment Rights Bill, published in October 2024, provides an initial, indicative assessment of the impacts that could result from primary legislation. This represents the best estimate for the likely impacts of a Fair Pay Agreement given the current stage of policy development.

The Spending Review 2025 allows for over £4 billion in additional funding available for ASC in 2028-29 compared to 2025-26. This includes other sources of income available to support adult social care, additional grant funding and an increase in the National Health Service’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund. This £4 billion increase includes £500 million to begin implementing the Fair Pay Agreement in 2028-29.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department applied to define deprived areas for the provision of free dental products in early years settings in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

National supervised toothbrushing programme funding and free dental products are based on the Office for National Statistics’ Indices of Multiple Deprivation mid-2020 population estimates. These were used to identify the number of three to five-year-olds living in the 20% most deprived Lower Super Output Areas of local authorities, including Buckinghamshire Council and Milton Keynes City Council.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that all Primary Care Network accounts are (a) publicly available and (b) otherwise transparent.

There are no current plans to change the way that primary care network (PCN) accounts, where required, are published. There is no requirement for practices to form separate legal entities when establishing a PCN account, and the Directed Enhanced Service is held by individual practices. Where local arrangements have led to the creation of separate legal entities, they are covered by existing company law and requirements to produce accounts.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for publishing the dentistry budget.

The Department’s settlement announced at Spending Review (SR) 2025 means that annual National Health Service day-to-day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms (£53 billion cash increase) by 2028-29 compared to 2023-24. This will take the NHS resource budget to £226 billion by 2028-29, equivalent to a 3.0% average annual real terms growth rate over the SR period.

The detail of SR budget allocations within departments is still being determined and we are working to provide the detail and certainty needed on future funding and spending plans.

This includes preparing for the first medium-term planning round for the NHS in more than half a decade, which will give local leaders the certainty they need to deliver.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 72309 on NHS dental professionals, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including areas with no NHS dentists in the Golden Hello scheme.

The Golden Hello scheme aims to support dental practices in areas that are experiencing significant dental pressures, including areas with no National Health Service dentists.

The scheme is designed to encourage relocation to areas with workforce challenges, to attract new workers to the NHS, and to retain those who might have otherwise moved into private practice.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that families of adults with learning disabilities are given a greater role in decisions on their (a) care and (b) support.

Under the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, carers will be actively involved in the care planning of those they care for, mirroring the practices of family group conferencing.

Additionally, we are increasing the information captured about unpaid carers throughout the health and care system to help us better understand responsibilities and provide more targeted support. Development of a new ‘MyCarer’ section of the NHS App will also allow people to communicate more easily with relevant clinical team members on behalf of those for whom they care.

To provide further support, in April, the Government increased the Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the largest ever increase since the Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Millions more appointments as more than 2,000 extra GPs recruited, published on 24 July 2025, how many of those GPs are working in Bedfordshire.

As of 31 August 2025, 48 newly qualified GPs have been recruited through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme since October 2024 in NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential return on funding for the the supervised brushing scheme in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Supervised toothbrushing is an evidence-based intervention. The most recent assessment suggests that supervised toothbrushing schemes have a five-year return on investment of £3.06 for every £1 spent where the rate of decayed, missing due to decay, and filled teeth is two or greater. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-the-oral-health-of-children-cost-effective-commissioning

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to respond to feedback provided in its consultation on NHS dentistry contract: quality and payment reform, published 8 July 2025.

The Government is considering the outcomes of the consultation and will publish a response in due course.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a dedicated mechanism to fund pay increases for practice nurses and other non-doctor staff employed by GP practices.

General practices are independent businesses contracted to provide National Health Service services. As self-employed contractors to the NHS, it is for GP practices to determine uplifts in pay for their employees.

We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025-26, the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.

The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay. As with last year, we have accepted the DDRB’s pay recommendation and have uplifted the pay elements of the GP contract by 4% on a consolidated basis (an increase of 1.2% on top of the 2.8% interim uplift in April).

Funding for these awards will be backdated to April 2025. We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they are receiving.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has provided for supervised tooth brushing in early years settings in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Funding for 2025/26 has been allocated at upper tier local authority level. For Buckinghamshire Council and Milton Keynes City Council this was £61,842.36 for supervised toothbrushing in early years settings. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2025-to-2026

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of pharmacy provision in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area.

Local authorities are required, by statute, to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA.

If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, an ICB can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes and fund the contract from the ICB’s budgets. In some rural areas where a pharmacy may not be viable, local GP practices are permitted to dispense medicines to their patients. In addition, patients can choose to access medicines through any of the distance selling pharmacies that are required to deliver medicines they dispense free of charge and also provide other pharmaceutical services remotely.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a tie-in period for newly qualified dentists on NHS dental patients in Norfolk.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the National Health Service for a minimum period which we intend to be at least three years. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health.

Later this year we will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. They will be more empowered, more flexible and more fulfilled.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of housing costs on the recruitment of health staff, in the context of his plans for a Neighbourhood Health Service.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, that will mean the service will look different in rural communities, coastal towns or deprived inner cities.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of newly qualified dentists that will be required to ensure the future of NHS dentistry in the next five to ten years.

Later this year we will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. They will be more empowered, more flexible and more fulfilled.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will now make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the National Health Service for a minimum period, intended to be at least three years. We will consult on the detail of this proposal in due course.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is responsible for developing the business case for public-private partnerships in Neighbourhood Health Centres.

The Government announced in the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy document on 19 June 2025, as well as in the 10-Year Health plan published on 3 July 2025, that it will explore the feasibility of using new Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to deliver certain types of primary and community health infrastructure, including neighbourhood health centres. The business case is being co-developed by the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority. The decision on whether to proceed with the use of PPPs for neighbourhood health centres will be made by HM Treasury and relevant ministers by the 2025 Autumn Budget.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to reduce the waiting time for ADHD prescription under Sheffield Adult Autism and Neurodevelopmental Service.

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected later this year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.

The NHS South Yorkshire ICB advises that the Sheffield Adult Autism and Neurodevelopmental Service is reviewing its diagnostic pathways and recruiting additional staff in order to improve efficiency within the service. The NHS South Yorkshire ICB has also commissioned the Adult Autism and ADHD Support Hub, delivered by the voluntary sector organisation, Mental Health Matters, to offer free support to autistic people and people with ADHD living in Sheffield. The hub provides a range of practical advice and information on areas such as confidence building, peer support, and wellbeing.

Zubir Ahmed
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase NHS capacity for ADHD assessments.

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays in accessing such assessments.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make available the appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected later this year. We will carefully consider its recommendations.

For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan and has also released technical guidance to ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data and to publishing more localised data in future. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

Zubir Ahmed
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support community-based preventative services for older people in Norfolk.

The NHS is implementing various preventative services to support older people in maintaining their health and independence.

These services include:

  • Support for frailty: The NHS Toolkit for General practice in supporting older people living with frailty offers tools to GPs and practice staff to identify and manage frailty in patients aged 65 and over.
  • Integrated care systems: The NHS 10 Year Plan aims to move care from hospitals into communities, bringing together health and care professionals to provide proactive care and prevention services.
  • Preventive primary care: Preventive primary care interventions are being evaluated to improve functional ability and self-rated health for older people.

These initiatives are part of a broader strategy to improve the quality of care and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions for older people. The NHS is working with partners across health and social care to ensure that older people receive the highest quality care when they need it.

Norfolk and Waveney ICB, working with Norfolk County Council, local authorities, the voluntary sector, and NHS providers, has established a wide range of preventative services to help older people live healthier, more independent lives. The ICB’s Protect NoW programme is tackling inequalities and improving access to health and care services through Population Health Management (PHM) and risk stratification. Projects include improving access to talking therapies, falls prevention, and the Dementia North Norfolk programme, which connects people to housing, benefits, social activities, and carers’ support.

In addition, the Health Connect initiative has supported over 9,000 residents after hospital discharge, reducing the risk of readmission through practical, emotional, health, and social support.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of histotripsy treatment on the NHS.

Histotripsy is a non-invasive ultrasound treatment that destroys tumours without the need for surgery or radiation. It was one of eight transformative technologies supported through the Government’s Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) pilot. This programme aimed to streamline patient access to medical devices that address an unmet clinical need in the National Health Service.

Through the IDAP, an Unmet Clinical Need Authorisation was granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, exempting the manufacturer from certain regulatory requirements under specific conditions given the critical unmet need of liver cancer, allowing early market access. Histotripsy is now available for conditional use in the NHS for patients with liver tumours. NHS treatments will begin in October 2025 as a first in Europe, strengthening the United Kingdom’s position as a global leader in medical innovation.

Zubir Ahmed
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Sep 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Health and Social Care on 4 September (HC70174), what is the meaning of "in due course" for confirming the funding arrangements for children and young people's hospices in 2026–27.

The Minister of State for Care is currently having discussions with NHS England and Department officials about the funding arrangements for children and young people’s hospices in 2026/27. We hope to be able to provide further communication on this later in the year.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Sep 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care have had with promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill since November 2020.

Ministers in the Department have had 15 meetings with the sponsors of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, namely the Hon. Member Kim Leadbeater and Lord Falconer of Thoroton.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Sep 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has met the NHS Staff Council since 1 January.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Minister of State for Health meet regularly with individual Agenda for Change (AfC) trade union leaders and with representatives of NHS organisations to discuss matters affecting the NHS workforce.

It is not usual practice for Ministers to attend NHS Staff Council meetings, which are used to discuss policy issues affecting the AfC workforce and to maintain the NHS terms and conditions of service. Accordingly, there have been no meetings between the Secretary of State and the NHS Staff Council as a whole since 1 January.

Both ministers have written to the NHS Staff Council on issues relating to AfC pay, terms, and conditions since 1 January, and Department officials continue to attend meetings of the NHS Staff Council.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Sep 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to update the terms of reference for the independent commission into adult social care to include the level of spending on palliative care within the NHS.

The independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock, commenced its work in April. The Terms of Reference have been published and are designed to be sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future.

The Terms of Reference are clear that recommendations should be considered within the context of the ongoing National Health Service reforms and, in phase 1, should focus on how to get adult social care working more closely with the NHS. Baroness Casey will do this by considering the existing funding for local authority adult social care services together with NHS funding for services at the interface of health and care and whether they are being best used.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of commissioning arrangements for (a) Molecular Radiotherapy, (b) Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy and (c) Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapies.

The National Health Service delivers a range of treatments for cancer, with expert clinicians working with patients to determine the most appropriate option. The Government is working with NHS England to ensure that the most effective treatments are available to patients across the country when they need them.

Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is routinely available to treat several types of cancer, including some types of lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer. Every NHS trust that is commissioned to provide radiotherapy services in England can offer SABR. However, not all cancer types can be treated with SABR in every radiotherapy service, because some trusts may not host the relevant specialist multi-disciplinary team.

No assessment has been made of the potential for systemic anti-cancer therapies to be delivered via primary care in the community or at home. However, in line with the Government’s Health Mission shift from hospital to community, the 10-Year Health Plan committed to deliver more urgent care in the community, in people’s homes, or through neighbourhood health centres by 2035.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential for systemic anti-cancer therapies to be delivered via primary care in the community or at home.

The National Health Service delivers a range of treatments for cancer, with expert clinicians working with patients to determine the most appropriate option. The Government is working with NHS England to ensure that the most effective treatments are available to patients across the country when they need them.

Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is routinely available to treat several types of cancer, including some types of lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer. Every NHS trust that is commissioned to provide radiotherapy services in England can offer SABR. However, not all cancer types can be treated with SABR in every radiotherapy service, because some trusts may not host the relevant specialist multi-disciplinary team.

No assessment has been made of the potential for systemic anti-cancer therapies to be delivered via primary care in the community or at home. However, in line with the Government’s Health Mission shift from hospital to community, the 10-Year Health Plan committed to deliver more urgent care in the community, in people’s homes, or through neighbourhood health centres by 2035.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in which NHS trusts Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy is available in England .

The National Health Service delivers a range of treatments for cancer, with expert clinicians working with patients to determine the most appropriate option. The Government is working with NHS England to ensure that the most effective treatments are available to patients across the country when they need them.

Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is routinely available to treat several types of cancer, including some types of lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer. Every NHS trust that is commissioned to provide radiotherapy services in England can offer SABR. However, not all cancer types can be treated with SABR in every radiotherapy service, because some trusts may not host the relevant specialist multi-disciplinary team.

No assessment has been made of the potential for systemic anti-cancer therapies to be delivered via primary care in the community or at home. However, in line with the Government’s Health Mission shift from hospital to community, the 10-Year Health Plan committed to deliver more urgent care in the community, in people’s homes, or through neighbourhood health centres by 2035.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost savings to the NHS from the expansion of Fracture Liaison Services in England.

Potential cost savings to the National Health Service from the expansion of Fracture Liaison Services will be taken into consideration in future policy development.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with female reproductive systems are informed about symptoms of (a) ovarian and (b) other gynaecological cancers through NHS cervical screening programmes.

NHS England works to ensure that core public information on screening is easily accessible and understandable to the public, and it regularly and systematically reviews this information.

Earlier this year, NHS England updated its cervical screening guidance to include that cervical screening is not a check for other cancers of the reproductive system, such as ovary, womb, vulval, or vaginal cancer. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-description-in-brief/cervical-screening-helping-you-decide--2

The guidance advises that you should not wait to contact a general practitioner if you have any concerns.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there is a facility for the NHS to approve treatments without external payment for assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) charges companies for the development of its technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies recommendations on medicines and other health technologies. Where a company does not participate in the NICE appraisal process, the default National Health Service position will be to not routinely commission the intervention for the stated indication. This is to avoid a potential pathway for circumventing the NICE process. In some cases, such as where there is no single company that markets the medicine or technology under evaluation, NICE evaluations can be funded from other sources, such as from NICE’s core Government funding or NHS England.

Zubir Ahmed
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on zero-rating defibrillators for VAT.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not discussed zero-rating defibrillators for VAT with my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The Government provides VAT reliefs to aid with the purchase of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) through VAT refunds on purchases made by local authorities, including parish councils, and VAT reliefs for purchases made through voluntary contributions where the AED is donated to eligible charities or the National Health Service.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) reduce wait times and (b) increase capacity for paediatric blood tests.

We inherited a broken National Health Service, and reducing elective waiting lists is a key part of getting it back on its feet and building an NHS that is fit for the future. To that end we have committed to achieving the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029. Cutting waiting times for diagnostic tests such as blood tests is a crucial step in reducing the elective waiting list.

Blood tests are among the most commonly requested diagnostic investigations across primary and secondary care, and they are readily available across all 27 NHS pathology networks. Phlebotomy, the procedure to collect blood samples, is widely available across general practice, community health services, and secondary care phlebotomy clinics, supporting equitable access to blood testing.

The NHS is taking steps to reduce wait times for blood tests. These include establishing more straight to test pathways, whereby a patient is referred straight to a diagnostic test without the need for an additional outpatient appointment first, as well as investing in digital pathology and automation of histopathology services to reduce the time patients wait for blood test results to be processed.

Alongside this, we are continuing to invest in expanding diagnostic capacity in the NHS. As set out in the Elective reform Plan, we plan to build up to five more community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in 2025/26, alongside increasing the operating hours of existing sites so that more offer services 12 hours a day, seven days a week. This is backed by part of the £600 million of capital for diagnostic services announced at the October Spending Review.

CDCs offer local populations, including children, a wide range of diagnostic tests closer to home and greater choice on where and how they are undertaken. This reduces the need for hospital visits, reduces pressure on hospitals, and speeds up diagnosis. CDCs are expected to offer their services to children and young people where it is safe and appropriate to do so. Phlebotomy is a core service provided by all standard and large model CDCs.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
8th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish the business cases developed for Neighbourhood Health Centres and the names of organisations or companies involved in their preparation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 October 2025 to Question 75637.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration he has given to supporting the National Screening Committee to (a) more swiftly implement innovation within screening programmes and (b) adopt innovative new programmes once proven effective.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) and its secretariat have adopted several robust strategies that support responsiveness to innovation in screening.

The committee uses the expertise of its research and methodology group to help researchers focus the design of screening research to ensure it addresses questions in a way that is useful for screening policy. Where screening research trials are ongoing, the secretariat maintains close contact with researchers to ensure that we are proactive in response to the results coming out of the trial.

Where there are evidence gaps in screening research, in-service evaluations provide an innovative solution to generating high quality evidence for the UK NSC in live National Health Services. The UK NSC secretariat works closely with NHS England on upcoming work so that the NHS can optimise their preparations in their readiness for the implementation of recommendations agreed by ministers.

Networking across the healthcare landscape both nationally and internationally helps to ensure that the UK NSC keeps abreast of developments in screening and identifies viable innovations in tests and treatments that are suitable in the context of the United Kingdom. Collaboration between organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, and professional bodies such as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists supports joined up working with partners and avoids unnecessary duplication.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including (a) prehabilitation and (b) rehabilitation as essential elements of cancer treatment.

The Department and NHS England are taking a number of steps to support the National Health Service to deliver cost-effective prehabilitation and rehabilitation services.

NHS England has highlighted the positive impact of efficient prehabilitation and rehabilitation on cancer outcomes and the potential to lead to cost savings. The ‘PRosPer’ cancer prehabilitation and rehabilitation learning programme, launched as a partnership between NHS England and Macmillan Cancer Support, aims to support allied health professionals and the wider healthcare workforce in developing their skills in providing prehabilitation and rehabilitation as essential elements of cancer treatment.

The National Cancer Plan, to be published later this year, will look at how to improve patient outcomes across the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, including prehabilitation and rehabilitation services where appropriate.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for heart health pathways.

The latest data, from July 2025, shows that 61.6% of waits for cardiology services are within 18 weeks, which is a 1.7% improvement on the same month from the previous year. While this shows progress, we know there is more to do to reduce waiting times for heart health pathways. That is why, along with our commitment to returning to the 92% referral-to-treatment standard for elective care by March 2029, the Elective Reform Plan commits to significant elective reform in cardiology.

Cardiology is one of five priority specialties identified for significant elective reform in the Elective Reform Plan. Reforms will include increasing specialist cardiology input earlier in patient care pathways and developing standard and efficient care pathways for common cardiology symptoms. It also includes improving access to cardiac diagnostic tests through implementing more ‘straight-to-test’ pathways, where a general practitioner can refer a patient directly to secondary care for a test. This can reduce unnecessary outpatient appointments and improve waiting times even further for patients across England.

These improvements to common cardiology pathways help standardise patient care, reduce inequalities, and improve access to care, especially in the early stages of heart health pathways for patients across England.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will provide multi-year funding settlements for children's hospices in (a) Kent and (b) England after this financial year.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.

We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant. Two children’s hospices based in Kent, Demelza Hospice and Ellenor Hospice, are receiving £1,750,000 and £189,000 respectively.

I am currently having discussions with NHS England and Department officials about the funding arrangements for children and young people’s hospices throughout England beyond 2025/26. We hope to be able to provide further communication on this later this autumn.

The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (a) review and (b) update clinical guidelines on (i) diagnosis and (ii) treatment of type 1 diabetes and eating disorders.

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 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 intends to carry out focussed updates to all diabetes guidance to take account of changes in insulin availability, but has no current plans for further updates to its guidelines on type 1 diabetes or eating disorders.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
8th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what safeguards he plans to introduce to prevent potential financial and operational failures associated with previous Private Finance Initiative schemes in relation to Neighbourhood Health Centres.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 October 2025 to Question 75637.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)