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
Tuesday 21st October 2025
Oral Answers to Questions
Oral Questions
Select Committee Docs
Friday 17th October 2025
10:27
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
Wednesday 22nd October 2025
Health Services: Women
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential …
Secondary Legislation
Tuesday 21st October 2025
Health and Care Act 2022 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, which apply in relation to National Health Service functions that are exercisable in England only, make consequential amendments …
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
Tuesday 21st October 2025
13:58

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
Oct. 21
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, which apply in relation to National Health Service functions that are exercisable in England only, make consequential amendments to the Down Syndrome Act 2022.
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.
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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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, how many newly qualified nurses have secured employment through the Graduate Guarantee scheme since its introduction; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Graduate Guarantee scheme; and with reference to the forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan, what steps his Department is taking to align the number of nursing graduates with the availability of entry-level posts.

Supporting newly qualified nurses and midwives to move smoothly into employment is a key priority. The Graduate Guarantee, introduced in August 2025, is now being implemented across the National Health Service to ensure every newly qualified nurse and midwife is supported to secure appropriate employment. Early feedback from trusts and regions indicates that it is having a positive impact on the current recruitment cycle, with organisations recruiting ahead of turnover and creating additional entry-level posts.

We expect the recruitment cycle to be concluded by March 2026 for this cohort, and published workforce statistics will provide a transparent assessment of the current NHS workforce. The forthcoming Chief Nursing Officer professional strategy for nursing and midwifery, alongside the 10 Year Workforce Plan, will set out further details on future workforce needs.

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, whether his Department plans to review the NHS Car Parking Guidance.

The Department currently has no plans to review National Health Service car parking guidance. Free hospital car parking is available to groups that are most in-need, including disabled people, frequent outpatient attenders, the parents of sick children staying overnight, and staff working night shifts.

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 help prevent patients being treated in (a) corridors, (b) converted office spaces, (c) gyms and (d) other inappropriate spaces in winter 2025-26.

We are doing everything we can as fast as we can to eliminate corridor care. The Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so that patients can be treated with dignity.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out the steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This plan includes a target to reduce the number of patients waiting over 12 hours for admission or discharge from an emergency department compared to 2024/25, with the aim of this occurring less than 10% of the time, and a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

We will also publish new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care which will support better hospital flow, which aims to reduce overcrowding and long waits.

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, if he will set a national target for eliminating corridor care in NHS hospitals.

We are doing everything we can as fast as we can to eliminate corridor care. The Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so that patients can be treated with dignity.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out the steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This plan includes a target to reduce the number of patients waiting over 12 hours for admission or discharge from an emergency department compared to 2024/25, with the aim of this occurring less than 10% of the time, and a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

We will also publish new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care which will support better hospital flow, which aims to reduce overcrowding and long waits.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to prevent patients being treated in (a) corridors, (b) converted office spaces, (c) gyms and (d) other inappropriate spaces.

We are doing everything we can as fast as we can to eliminate corridor care. The Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so that patients can be treated with dignity.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out the steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This plan includes a target to reduce the number of patients waiting over 12 hours for admission or discharge from an emergency department compared to 2024/25, with the aim of this occurring less than 10% of the time, and a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

We will also publish new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care which will support better hospital flow, which aims to reduce overcrowding and long waits.

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 help prevent patients being treated in (a) corridors, (b) converted office spaces, (c) gyms and (d) other inappropriate spaces in winter 2025-26.

We are doing everything we can as fast as we can to tackle and eliminate corridor care. The Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so patients can be treated with dignity.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out the steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

We have been taking key steps to ensure that the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try to reduce the demand pressure on accident and emergency departments, increase vaccination rates, and offer health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care board and trust winter plans to confirm they are able to meet demand and support patient flow.

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 selection criteria were used to identify charities eligible for funding to support community engagement with (a) sex workers, (b) travelling communities, (c) asylum seekers and (d) other seldom heard groups.

All members of the Health and Wellbeing Alliance were approached to support the 10-Year Health Plan engagement process to help ensure we reached seldom-heard groups and communities. Charities were selected based on their ability to deliver engagement sessions with communities and groups that were under-represented in the national conversation.

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 estimate he has made of the average cost per night of care (a) in an acute hospital, (b) in a community hospital and (c) at home with visiting nursing support (i) for NHS England, (ii) in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB area and (iii) in the Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust area.

NHS England don’t routinely collect expenditure data against the categories requested but we do for the following categories in the table below.

For (a) and (b) rather than share data by acute or community ‘hospital’, we have broken this down by acute or community ‘trust’ for the national and integrated care board (ICB) level requests, except for Portsmouth Hospital University NHS Trust which is acute only.

We are not able to provide the costs of (c), at home with visiting nurse support as we don’t collect this level of cost information.

The costs we have provided are fully absorbed, i.e. they include not only the medical care of the patients but also all other costs incurred in the trusts. The costs are taken from the National Cost Collection for 2023/24, the latest year for which data is currently available. This is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2023-24-national-cost-collection-data-publication/

To derive the average cost per bed day we have divided the total cost by the total length of stay for all Admitted Patient Care delivered in:

a. (i) – All acute NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts

Total Costs

Total length of stay for all Admitted Patient Care (days)

Average cost per day

£45,409,702,984

52,414,320

£866.36

a. (ii) – All acute trusts in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB area

Total Cost

Total length of stay for all Admitted Patient Care (days)

Average cost per day

£1,426,531,392

1,815,334

£785.82

a. (iii) - Portsmouth Hospital University NHS Trust (to note - this is specifically this trust, not the Portsmouth 'area')

Total Cost

Total length of stay for all Admitted Patient Care (days)

Average cost per day

£451,003,686

675,437

£667.72

b. (i) – All community NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts

Total Cost

Total length of stay for all Admitted Patient Care (days)

Average cost per day

£481,873,973

842,354

£572.06

b. (ii) – All community NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB area (to note - Solent NHS Trust are the only community trust in this ICB)

Total Cost

Total length of stay for all Admitted Patient Care (days)

Average cost per day

£21,140,773

36,855

£573.62


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 assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations on surrogacy in the report by the UN Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women and Girls entitled Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences: The different manifestations of violence against women and girls in the context of surrogacy, published on 14 July 2025.

The UN Special Rapporteur’s report is framed within the context of Violence Against Women and Girls and recommends banning surrogacy in all forms.

The United Kingdom Government supports surrogacy as an option for family formation, for people unable to carry their own children. For this option, we recommend the use of UK not-for-profit surrogacy organisations.

For those considering surrogacy overseas, we recommend taking specialist legal advice and consulting the advice published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surrogacy-overseas/surrogacy-overseas

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, for what reason the target to include a women's health hub within every ICB area is not included in the document by NHS England entitled 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, last updated on 22 August 2025.

A target on women’s health hubs was not needed in this year’s planning guidance because the target was met. We have moved away from central targets through the planning guidance and are supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to continue improving their delivery of women’s health hubs. This is in line with their responsibility to decide which services they want to commission in order to meet the needs of their local populations and will therefore not be mandated. We have heard from ICBs on the positive impacts that women’s health hubs have on both women's access to care in the community and their experiences. The Government is committed to encouraging ICBs to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women and girls.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to moving towards a neighbourhood health service, with more care delivered in local communities, to identify and address problems earlier and closer to home. Women’s health hubs are an example of this approach and can play a key role in delivering the Government’s commitments on tackling long National Health Service waiting lists, as well as shifting care into the community.

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 assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of the mandatory target for the provision of women's health hubs in each ICB area in the 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, last updated on 22 August 2025, on the availability of (a) conservative treatment and (b) pelvic floor physiotherapy for (i) stress incontinence and (ii) prolapse for women.

A target on women’s health hubs was not needed in this year’s planning guidance because the target was met. We have moved away from central targets through the planning guidance and are supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to continue improving their delivery of women’s health hubs. This is in line with their responsibility to decide which services they want to commission in order to meet the needs of their local populations and will therefore not be mandated. We have heard from ICBs on the positive impacts that women’s health hubs have on both women's access to care in the community and their experiences. The Government is committed to encouraging ICBs to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women and girls.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to moving towards a neighbourhood health service, with more care delivered in local communities, to identify and address problems earlier and closer to home. Women’s health hubs are an example of this approach and can play a key role in delivering the Government’s commitments on tackling long National Health Service waiting lists, as well as shifting care into the community.

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, whether his Department plans to make the provision of women's health hubs by ICBs mandatory.

A target on women’s health hubs was not needed in this year’s planning guidance because the target was met. We have moved away from central targets through the planning guidance and are supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to continue improving their delivery of women’s health hubs. This is in line with their responsibility to decide which services they want to commission in order to meet the needs of their local populations and will therefore not be mandated. We have heard from ICBs on the positive impacts that women’s health hubs have on both women's access to care in the community and their experiences. The Government is committed to encouraging ICBs to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women and girls.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to moving towards a neighbourhood health service, with more care delivered in local communities, to identify and address problems earlier and closer to home. Women’s health hubs are an example of this approach and can play a key role in delivering the Government’s commitments on tackling long National Health Service waiting lists, as well as shifting care into the community.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to (a) improve patient care and (b) reduce waiting times in north Staffordshire.

Tackling waiting lists is a key priority for the Government. Between July 2024 and June 2025, we delivered 5.2 million additional appointments, compared to the previous year, which is more than double our pledge of two million. This marks a vital first step in delivering the constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those in north Staffordshire, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.

North Staffordshire is part of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB). As of August 2025, the latest published data, the total waiting list in this ICB stood at 139,133, 63.3% of which were waiting within 18 weeks. This is an improvement from 57.2% in August 2024 and is above the August 2025 national average of 61%.

The Government is committed not only to ensuring that people are seen on time but also to ensuring that they have the best possible experience when using NHS England’s services. Empowering patients with greater choice and control is central to this effort.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out wide ranging reforms to improve patients’ access to and experience of care, from reducing unnecessary appointments to faster and more local diagnostics.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a transformed vision for planned care by 2035, where the majority of interactions no longer take place in a hospital building, instead happening virtually, online, or via neighbourhood services. Planned care will be more efficient, timely, and effective, and will put control in the hands of patients.

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 guidance his Department provides to NHS trusts on the wearing by healthcare staff in hospital settings of (a) perfumes, (b) scented laundry products and (c) other fragranced products; and what assessment has been made of the potential impact of such products on patients with (i) respiratory conditions, (ii) allergies, and (iii) fragrance sensitivities.

NHS organisations set their own policies locally and these generally form part of their unform policy. Although there is no national guidance in place, some organisations do advise in their own guidance that the wearing of perfumed products must be discrete and not overpowering.

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, whether his Department plans to ensure that (a) medical and healthcare education and (b) training curricula include guidance on the appropriateness of wearing (i) perfume, (ii) aftershave and (iii) other fragranced products in clinical settings.

NHS organisations set their own policies locally and these generally form part of their unform policy. Although there is no national guidance in place, some organisations do advise in their own guidance that the wearing of perfumed products must be discrete and not overpowering.

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, how many NHS doctors banned from practising overseas have been found to be working in UK hospitals in each of the last ten years.

Neither the Department nor NHS England hold this information centrally.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is the regulator of all medical doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, still legally known as anaesthesia associates and physician associates, practising in the United Kingdom. This includes those who have trained or worked overseas, and involves ensuring that they meet the necessary standards, skills, and knowledge to join its UK registers. The GMC is independent of the Government, being directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties. The GMC seeks and routinely receives information from overseas regulators when doctors who have been working in other countries apply to register with it. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been clear that patient safety is paramount, and that any failings of the regulatory system must be addressed.

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 estimate he has made of the cost of non-healthcare professionals in his plans for the NHS; and how this compares to the current figure.

No specific assessment has been made of the future cost of non-healthcare professionals. The NHS England 2025/26 Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance though states that integrated care boards and providers should review their workforce and spending to identify savings, including on non-frontline staff, in order to prioritise frontline care. The guidance requires systems to conduct a robust review of establishment growth and return spend on support functions to April 2022 levels. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/PRN01625-25-26-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance-january-2025.pdf

The Department estimates that expenditure on total paybill for substantive staff employed in National Health Service infrastructure support roles was around £14.4 billion in the 2024-25 financial year. For context, the total paybill for NHS staff in 2024-25 was around £86.6 billion, meaning infrastructure support staff account for around 17% of the total paybill which has been essentially unchanged since 2010-11.

NHS infrastructure support roles includes staff working in central functions such as human resources and finance, staff working in property and estates roles and also NHS managers. This paybill figure includes the cost of basic pay, additional earnings, employer national insurance contributions and employer pensions contributions. It covers staff employed by NHS trusts, integrated care boards and also central NHS bodies and support organisations.

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 progress he has made on the commitment to deliver a doubling of the number of NHS CT and MRI scanners.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including investment in new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scanners. We are investing in transforming and expanding diagnostic services to speed up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the referral to treatment 18-week standard.

The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective and urgent care capacity. This includes £600 million in capital funding for diagnostics in 2025/26 to support delivery of the NHS performance standards. This funding will deliver new community diagnostic centres, including new MRI and CT scanners, new scanners in acute hospital settings, as well as replacement of the oldest CT and MRI scanners. Further details and allocations will be set out in due course.

The National Imaging Data Collection is an annual retrospective data collection for NHS imaging services within England. It is published annually, focusing on the number of reported imaging assets, including MRI and CT scanners. The latest publication is correct for March 2024 and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/national-imaging-data-collection/

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 reduce delays in NHS ophthalmology services.

We have committed to ensuring that 92% of all patients, across specialties, wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029. As a first step, we have delivered a reduction in the waiting list by over 206,000, having now delivered 5.2 million additional appointments, compared to the previous year. This is more than double our pledge of 2 million extra appointments.

In ophthalmology, the current national waiting list stands at 593,646 pathways, with 69.8% of those having waited 18 weeks or less. This marks a 16,630 reduction in the ophthalmology waiting list, and a 3.7 percentage point improvement in patients waiting 18 weeks or less than in June 2024. In June 2024, the ophthalmology waiting list stood at 610,276 pathways, with 66.1% of patients waiting 18 weeks or less.

Ophthalmology is the largest outpatient speciality, with over 9.7 million outpatient attendances across 2024/25. Reforms to outpatient care outlined in our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, are already reducing delays in National Health Service ophthalmology services. We are reducing missed appointments through enhanced two-way communication between hospitals and patients. We are using AI prediction to reduce missed appointments and increasing the use of remote monitoring and patient-initiated follow up where appropriate, to offer patients more flexibility over their care.

We will improve the IT connectivity between primary and secondary eye care services, to improve the referral and triage of patients and enable a more integrated approach to delivering eye care. The 10-Year Health Plan will also support more eye care services being delivered in the community, to help create capacity in secondary care by shifting care away from hospitals.

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) increase NHS winter capacity in Chichester constituency for the 2025-26 winter period and (b) enhance public awareness of winter illness prevention.

The National Health Service is already preparing for winter this year with the development and better testing of winter plans. This includes the surge capacity and escalation plans in place across all NHS and urgent care services including Chichester.

The UK Health Security Agency publishes the Adverse Weather and Health Plan for England, which sets out a framework for action to protect the population from harm to their health from adverse weather including excess cold.

On 20 October 2025, the Department will launch a multimedia campaign encouraging flu vaccination among people with long-term health conditions. This follows September 2025 campaigns promoting vaccination for pregnant women and children of pre-school and school age.

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 assessment his Department has made of the safety of fertility apps for their users.

No formal assessment has been made of fertility apps and no steps are being taken to regulate them. Fertility apps are privately owned health apps, and as such they do not share data directly with the Department.

Where fertility apps meet the definition of a medical device, the safety of these products already falls under the remit of the United Kingdom’s medical device regulations and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Examples of products that would fall within the remit of these regulations would be apps intended to facilitate conception and enable contraception based on basal body temperature.

Patients looking for fertility advice should speak to their general practitioner or a licensed fertility clinic. They can also find unbiased information on fertility treatments and UK licenced clinics on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s website, at the following link:

www.hfea.gov.uk

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 his Department is taking to regulate fertility apps.

No formal assessment has been made of fertility apps and no steps are being taken to regulate them. Fertility apps are privately owned health apps, and as such they do not share data directly with the Department.

Where fertility apps meet the definition of a medical device, the safety of these products already falls under the remit of the United Kingdom’s medical device regulations and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Examples of products that would fall within the remit of these regulations would be apps intended to facilitate conception and enable contraception based on basal body temperature.

Patients looking for fertility advice should speak to their general practitioner or a licensed fertility clinic. They can also find unbiased information on fertility treatments and UK licenced clinics on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s website, at the following link:

www.hfea.gov.uk

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, if he will make an assessment of the causes of the resident doctor strikes in 2025.

On 9 April, The British Medical Association resident doctors committee (BMA RDC) entered into dispute in relation to the timing of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration report and subsequently ran a statutory ballot, which closed on 8 July, in response to the report and the 2025/26 pay award. They have since run another statutory ballot exclusively for their foundation year 1 members in relation to lack of training places.

Following these ballots the BMA RDC currently holds two live mandates for strike action. One is in relation to pay, which applies to all the resident doctor membership, and one is in relation to pay and training places, which applies to their foundation year 1 membership only.

They took five days of strike action from 25 to 30 July under their mandate over pay.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular engagement with resident doctors and is aware of the issues that they are experiencing as they work and train in the National Health Service. My Rt. Hon. Friend intends to continue to work with the BMA RDC to resolve their disputes and improve working conditions. This Government has already made significant improvements on the issues which impact doctors most through NHS England’s 10 Point Plan to improve resident doctors’ working lives.

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 assessment his Department has made of the (a) level and (b) nature of the challenges faced by A&E staff; and what additional support he is providing to boost A&E staff morale.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals, including those working in accident and emergency departments. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will ensure that staff are better treated, have better training, and have more fulfilling roles.

We will also work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment. The new standards will reaffirm our commitment to supporting staff by tackling the issues that matter to them. They will cover access to nutritious food and drink at work, reducing violence against staff, tackling racism and sexual harassment, standards of ‘healthy work’ and occupational health support, and support for flexible working. These standards will provide a framework for leaders across the NHS to build a supportive culture to help boost morale across the workforce.

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, how many consultant pathologists are employed by the NHS by (a) headcount and (b) whole time equivalent.

NHS England publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics for England, which are available at the following link:

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

These statistics include staff working in hospital trusts and integrated care boards, but excludes staff working in primary care, general practitioner surgeries, local authorities, and other providers. This data is drawn from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR), the human resources system for the National Health Service.

The data published by NHS England shows that, as of June 2024, there are 3,164 full-time equivalent and 3,515 headcount consultants in the pathology specialty group employed in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England.

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 his Department is taking with (a) local authorities and (b) voluntary organisations to assist disabled people with transportation to medical appointments.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, 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.

We know there is also geographical variation in waiting times. It is important that patients, including disabled patients, do not miss or cancel hospital appointments due to a lack of affordable and/or accessible transport options in their area. This is why the Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, committed to reviewing, developing and increasing the uptake of existing national health inequalities improvement initiatives. Specifically, the plan committed to reviewing local patient transport services and improving the signposting to, and the accessibility of, them for patients, to make it easier for vulnerable groups to travel to and access appointments.

NHS England are funding and co-ordinating a range of patient transport projects to explore more effective approaches to supporting patients with their NHS travel needs.

NHS England work with individual NHS organisations, local authorities, transport providers and other stakeholders to continually pilot, review, refine and propagate approaches to improving the choice, affordability, and accessibility of transport options for NHS patients.

A non-emergency patient transport service (NEPTS) provides funded transport where a medical condition means a patient cannot safely travel to receive their treatment independently. Transport may be provided by the ambulance service, independent providers, the voluntary sector and volunteers.

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, if he will take steps to help protect (a) safeguarding, (b) continuing healthcare and (c) support for people with special educational needs and disabilities during the transition to the new integrated care board cluster in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

To support integrated care boards (ICBs) as they reduce their running costs, which includes moving to new clusters in some areas, NHS England has been working with stakeholders on further detail. NHS England has shared best practice documents in relation to NHS Continuing Healthcare, support for people with special educational needs and disabilities, and safeguarding. These documents are clear on ICBs’ statutory requirements and set out that the focus in the near term will be on spreading best practice in the delivery of these functions, ensuring the function is delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible by all ICBs.

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, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69609 on Defibrillators in non-emergency ambulances, whether his Department has made an assessment of the consistency of Integrated Care Boards’ contractual requirements in respect of defibrillators on non-emergency patient transport service vehicles; and if he will take steps to ensure minimum national standards are in place.

The Department has not made an assessment centrally. It is local NHS commissioners who are responsible for managing the NHS budget and arranging NHS healthcare services which meet the needs of their respective populations.

Patients should undergo assessment for patient transport service (PTS) journeys. If significant clinical issues are identified as part of that assessment, then the PTS provider could allocate additional measures for that patient. This might include having particular equipment, including a defibrillator, on board, and/or having crews with a higher training level.

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 his Department has taken to monitor NHS transport service performance standards.

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) are designed to provide transport for patients who have particular clinical or mobility needs that necessitate such support, which may include elderly or vulnerable patients. The eligibility criteria for NEPTS have been set nationally by NHS England, and the details are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf

The Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme (HTCS) is available for eligible patients and provides financial support to facilitate journeys to and from National Health Service funded secondary care. Details on the eligibility for HTCS is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/.

Local integrated care boards (ICBs) hold responsibility for the implementation of patient transport services at a local level, including monitoring and improving against performance targets. ICBs are best placed to work and consult with their local stakeholders, health and care organisations, and local authorities to decide how to best meet and deliver for the needs of their local population.

NHS England is funding and co-ordinating a range of Patient Transport Pathfinder projects to explore more effective approaches to supporting patients with their NHS travel needs.

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 his Department has taken to ensure that vulnerable patients receive appropriate NHS transport services.

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) are designed to provide transport for patients who have particular clinical or mobility needs that necessitate such support, which may include elderly or vulnerable patients. The eligibility criteria for NEPTS have been set nationally by NHS England, and the details are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf

The Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme (HTCS) is available for eligible patients and provides financial support to facilitate journeys to and from National Health Service funded secondary care. Details on the eligibility for HTCS is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/.

Local integrated care boards (ICBs) hold responsibility for the implementation of patient transport services at a local level, including monitoring and improving against performance targets. ICBs are best placed to work and consult with their local stakeholders, health and care organisations, and local authorities to decide how to best meet and deliver for the needs of their local population.

NHS England is funding and co-ordinating a range of Patient Transport Pathfinder projects to explore more effective approaches to supporting patients with their NHS travel needs.

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 his Department is taking to improve NHS hospital transport provision.

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) are designed to provide transport for patients who have particular clinical or mobility needs that necessitate such support, which may include elderly or vulnerable patients. The eligibility criteria for NEPTS have been set nationally by NHS England, and the details are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf

The Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme (HTCS) is available for eligible patients and provides financial support to facilitate journeys to and from National Health Service funded secondary care. Details on the eligibility for HTCS is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/.

Local integrated care boards (ICBs) hold responsibility for the implementation of patient transport services at a local level, including monitoring and improving against performance targets. ICBs are best placed to work and consult with their local stakeholders, health and care organisations, and local authorities to decide how to best meet and deliver for the needs of their local population.

NHS England is funding and co-ordinating a range of Patient Transport Pathfinder projects to explore more effective approaches to supporting patients with their NHS travel needs.

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 his Department is taking to support NHS patient transport for (a) elderly people and (b) other patients.

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) are designed to provide transport for patients who have particular clinical or mobility needs that necessitate such support, which may include elderly or vulnerable patients. The eligibility criteria for NEPTS have been set nationally by NHS England, and the details are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf

The Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme (HTCS) is available for eligible patients and provides financial support to facilitate journeys to and from National Health Service funded secondary care. Details on the eligibility for HTCS is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/.

Local integrated care boards (ICBs) hold responsibility for the implementation of patient transport services at a local level, including monitoring and improving against performance targets. ICBs are best placed to work and consult with their local stakeholders, health and care organisations, and local authorities to decide how to best meet and deliver for the needs of their local population.

NHS England is funding and co-ordinating a range of Patient Transport Pathfinder projects to explore more effective approaches to supporting patients with their NHS travel needs.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were waiting for more than 18 weeks for treatment at the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust at the end of (a) June 2004 and (b) June 2025.

Monthly referral to treatment waiting times data has been published by NHS England since March 2007. The requested data for June 2004 is therefore unavailable. As of the end of June 2025, there were 38,284 pathways over 18 weeks at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. This data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2025-26/#Jun25

The standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18-weeks from referral to treatment came into effect in April 2012. Prior to this, national standards related to admitted or non-admitted completed pathways only. From 2015, trusts have solely been assessed on performance against the standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18-weeks from referral to treatment. Any data comparisons across these periods should therefore be treated with caution.

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 assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a stroke team within his Department.

The Government is committed to improving the outcomes for patients who suffer from a stroke. The teams responsible for the policy and delivery of services related to strokes within the Department and NHS England work closely together.

Subject to Parliament passing the primary legislation that will transfer most of NHS England’s functions to the Department, there will be further opportunities to consider how the future Department can best support patients suffering from a stroke.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS England's guidance entitled Saving babies’ lives version three: a care bundle for reducing perinatal mortality, updated on 24 April 2025, is implemented across NHS trusts.

All trusts are implementing version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle to reduce the rates of stillbirth, preterm birth, and to optimise neonatal care. As of May 2025, 116 out of 120 trusts were fully compliant, which is a 10% increase since April last year.

Implementation is overseen through NHS Resolution’s Maternity Incentive Scheme, a financial incentive to encourage trusts to implement safety actions to improve maternity safety. Under Safety Action 6, National Health Service trusts are required to demonstrate that they are on track to comply with all elements of the care bundle.

To do this, trusts must meet quarterly with their integrated care board (ICB) to review implementation progress, and ICBs must confirm that providers are on track to full implementation for the trust. This local oversight approach is in line with the NHS Operating Framework.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made towards publishing the family engagement strategy and methodology for the National Maternity Investigation.

The national maternity and neonatal investigation is operationally independent of the Department and, therefore, we do not hold this information.

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 provide clearer support pathways for women experiencing surgical menopause.

The Government recognises that women suffering from symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships, and participation in the workplace.

Surgical menopause can have significant consequences both in the short and long term. Menopausal symptoms can be particularly severe due to the sudden loss of ovarian function in both pre/post-menopausal women. Experiences vary, but this can be very debilitating.

Women should be counselled prior to surgery about what to expect and offered hormone replacement therapy if appropriate and desirable in managing symptoms. They should have a full discussion about implications of removal of ovaries and treatment options.

We have supported the system to improve access to more specialised and multidisciplinary teams in the community through the introduction of women’s health hubs. The hubs provide better communication and integrated care for women with a range of different needs, including menopause symptoms.

NHS England has supported a range of tools and interventions that will help to upskill more general practitioners in menopause care and will improve access to treatments that can be helpful, including a Menopause Optimal Pathway Toolkit (OPT). The OPT is an online resource that was developed in collaboration with partners including the British Menopause Society, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of General Practitioners, and the Royal College of Physicians. It is designed to be used in real-time, alongside the consultation, to guide health professionals through a menopause consultation. The information within the OPT is intended to be comprehensive, including National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, easy-to-use and locate, and should provide up-to-date information.

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, pursuant to Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 73326 on NHS: Strikes, whether more detailed guidance has been provided by (a) NHS England and (b) his Department on this matter.

Further guidance is provided for employers by NHS Employers and doctors should reference the Good Medical Practice Guide outlined by the General Medical Council (GMC) when making decisions about working during periods of strike action.

Information for employers can be found here:

https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/industrial-action-guidance-resources-and-faqs

Information for doctors can be found here:

https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/ethical-hub/industrial-action

The GMC guidance states that if a doctor is due to work but is not attending due to strike action, it is advised that the doctor still prepares and remains available during their scheduled working hours to respond appropriately if circumstances change during a period of industrial action.

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, whether he has had discussions with NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board on the reduction of the number of IVF cycles offered.

The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues between the Department and NHS England to better understand the offer around NHS-funded fertility services.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their population. We expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.

NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to NHS-funded treatment are still appropriate. A consultation on the revised guidelines was published on 10 September 2025, and is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10263/consultation/html-content-2

In light of broader pressures on the NHS and ongoing changes within NHS England, we have been looking again at achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services and fairness for all affected couples.

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 assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken to implement the Women’s Health Strategy on LGBTQ+ people ageing out of NHS fertility eligibility.

The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. In light of broader pressures on the NHS and ongoing changes within NHS England, we have been looking again at achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services and fairness for all affected couples.

Work continues between the Department and NHS England to better understand NHS-funded fertility services and the effectiveness of these services including the issue for LGBTQ+ people and specifically same-sex female couples. This work will take time to develop, however, the Department is keen to ensure there will be stakeholder engagement during this process beginning in the new year.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their population. We expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.

NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to NHS-funded treatment are still appropriate. A consultation on revised guidelines was published on 10 September, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10263/consultation/html-content-2

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 help ensure that (a) fathers, (b) families from minority (i) ethnic and (ii) faith backgrounds and (c) other bereaved parents receive (A) timely, (B) equitable and (C) culturally competent support following the loss of a baby.

Following the loss of a baby, all parents should receive timely, equitable, and culturally competent care. To support this, NHS England has provided funding to all integrated care boards (ICBs) to establish seven-day-a-week bereavement services across maternity settings in England, so that support is always available when families need it most. Currently, 38 out of 42 ICBs offer a seven day a week bereavement service.

Bereavement care and cultural competence are both included within the Core Competency Framework which sets out the essential training for staff to help to address variations in the quality of support provided. Over 15,400 maternity staff have completed the e-learning module on cultural competency to date.

In addition, the leaders of all 150 maternity and neonatal units in England have now participated in the Perinatal Culture and Leadership programme. Recognising that more is needed to ensure families from minority ethnic and faith backgrounds receive the appropriate care, NHS England is rolling out a perinatal equity anti-discrimination programme to equip staff with the skills to provide the best possible care.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the (a) development and (b) expansion of women’s health hubs across the country.

We are supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to continue improving their delivery of women’s health hubs, in line with their responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of their local populations.

We have heard from ICBs on the positive impacts that women’s health hubs have on both women’s access to care in the community and their experience. The Government is committed to encouraging ICBs to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women and girls.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to moving towards a neighbourhood health service, with more care delivered in local communities, to identify and address problems earlier and closer to home. Women’s health hubs are an example of this approach and can play a key role in delivering the government’s manifesto commitments on tackling long NHS waiting lists, as well as shifting care into the community.

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 his Department is taking to ensure newly qualified nurses can access Band 5 roles in their local area; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) experience requirements and (b) internal-only job advertisements on newly qualified nurses' ability to secure employment.

Newly qualified nurses are an essential part of the National Health Service workforce, and it is important that they are able to access suitable Band 5 employment opportunities on qualification. The Graduate Guarantee, introduced in August 2025, is now being implemented across the NHS to ensure every newly qualified nurse and midwife is supported to secure appropriate employment. Early feedback from trusts and regions indicates it is having a positive impact on the current recruitment cycle, with organisations recruiting ahead of turnover and creating additional entry-level posts.

In parallel, all regions are working with providers and higher education institutions to ensure a smooth transition from training into employment for newly qualified nurses with students being invited to apply for local roles. NHS England has also reminded employers to ensure advertisements do not disadvantage newly qualified nurses seeking their first post.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on the rollout of the new NHS special schools eye care service.

NHS England has been supporting the integrated care boards (ICBs) with the roll out of the special schools’ sight testing service. NHS England hosted a series of webinars to talk ICBs through the nationally developed service specifications. Each ICB received a comprehensive information pack outlining the level of interest expressed by both educational settings and service providers.

NHS England has established reporting on ICB progress in commissioning services, and all have indicated that they are either actively commissioning services, preparing for procurement activities, or planning engagement with local schools. Whilst services are being commissioned, the proof of concept contractors continue to provide services across 83 special schools.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve palliative care services in Surrey Heath constituency.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB), including the Surrey Heartlands ICB, must commission. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care services are provided by the National Health Service, we recognise the pressures hospices are facing, which is why 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. The nearest hospice, the Woking and Sam Beare Hospice, received £160,768 in 2024/25 and will receive £481,630 in 2025/26.

We are also providing £26 million in 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. The nearest children and young people’s hospice, the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, received £1,879,000 in 2025/26.

I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

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.

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)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of palliative care services in Surrey Heath constituency.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB), including the Surrey Heartlands ICB, must commission. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care services are provided by the National Health Service, we recognise the pressures hospices are facing, which is why 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. The nearest hospice, the Woking and Sam Beare Hospice, received £160,768 in 2024/25 and will receive £481,630 in 2025/26.

We are also providing £26 million in 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. The nearest children and young people’s hospice, the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, received £1,879,000 in 2025/26.

I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

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.

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)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has been made of the potential merits of increasing funding for palliative care services in (a) Surrey Heath constituency and (b) Surrey.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB), including the Surrey Heartlands ICB, must commission. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care services are provided by the National Health Service, we recognise the pressures hospices are facing, which is why 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. The nearest hospice, the Woking and Sam Beare Hospice, received £160,768 in 2024/25 and will receive £481,630 in 2025/26.

We are also providing £26 million in 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. The nearest children and young people’s hospice, the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, received £1,879,000 in 2025/26.

I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

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.

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)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department has provided to GP practices operating from newly built premises with (a) building and (b) maintenance issues; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of that support in helping to resolve those issues with landlords.

The provision and maintenance of premises is typically the responsibility of GP partners, who are either owner-occupiers or tenants of their surgery buildings. The National Health Service reimburses partners for the recurring costs of operating in the property (rent, notional rent or mortgage cost) and funds services in the GP contract.

GP owner-occupiers are responsible for all maintenance and repair of their property. For GP practices that rent their premises, their lease agreement sets out who is responsible for maintenance. A ‘Full Repairing and Insuring’ (FRI) lease requires the practice to handle all repairs, while a ‘Tenant’s Internal Repairing’ (TIR) lease means the landlord covers external and structural issues.

Commissioners may award improvement grants to GP practices to fund extensions, improvements, and enhanced physical access. This can be up to 100% of a project’s value, subject to discretion and the integrated care board’s available budget, under provisions of the NHS (General Medical Services) Premises Costs Directions 2024.

The £102 million Primary Care Utilisation & Modernisation Fund, announced at Autumn Budget 2024, is upgrading more than a thousand GP surgeries across England by April 2026.

Where facilities are an issue, it is imperative that General Practices work with the local Commissioner. There may be capital or revenue solutions to general practice premises and facilities’ needs.

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 palliative care services for people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire since Rt hon. and hon. Members last considered the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Irrespective of whether the law changes on assisted dying, we must continue to work towards creating a society where every person who needs it receives high-quality, compassionate palliative care and end of life care.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB), including Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB, must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

We are committed to shifting more healthcare into the community so that patients and their families receive high-quality, personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards strategic commissioning of palliative 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.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)