Department of Health and Social Care

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Rt Hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings on 30 March 2026 to Question 121274.

Although the Department holds data on performance markings, it does not centrally record the number of employees on performance management plans and therefore cannot provide figures for 2023, 2024, or 2025. Senior Civil Servants (SCS) and delegated grades, non-SCS, operate under different performance management frameworks.

SCS follow the Cabinet Office-prescribed SCS framework and should have at least quarterly performance conversations, at which ratings are provided. If an SCS receives the lowest performance rating for two consecutive quarters, a performance development plan is put in place with appropriate support. If the lowest rating continues, there is an expectation that the individual is placed on formal poor performance measures in line with the SCS framework.

Delegated grades follow the Department’s Performance Health Check policy and receive mid and end of year performance ratings, supported by monthly performance conversations. Where a delegated grade performance falls below the expected standard, managers must take early, supportive action through regular performance conversations, before deciding on whether any informal or formal action is required under the Supporting Performance Improvement policy and procedure.

People working in the National Health Service do so because they want to make a significant difference in people's lives by providing great quality healthcare. In turn, we need to ensure that we support them throughout their careers, providing access to training and development, and that they can work in an environment that is supportive, rewarding and inclusive.

NHS England already has an extensive retention programme that addresses matters that are important to staff such as good occupational health support, options for working more flexibly and better culture and leadership.

Targeted retention work continues through the NHS Retention Programme, which works with trusts to help them understand why staff have left. This has focused on better support for line managers including a staff retention guide, improved support for new joiners to the NHS and enhanced support for staff going through the menopause.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will deliver this change by making sure that staff are better treated, have more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future. This includes the development of a new set of staff standards for modern employment which will reaffirm our commitment to improving retention, and which are likely to focus on flexible working, improving staff health and wellbeing, and dealing with violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace.

Children and young people’s hospices will receive at least £26 million, adjusted for inflation, in revenue funding for 2026/27. NHS England has now communicated the details of this funding allocation and dissemination to 35 individual children and young people’s hospices and their respective integrated care boards (ICBs).

This funding will be transacted by ICBs on behalf of NHS England, in line with National Health Service devolution. As allocations are administered locally, the Department does not publish individual hospice allocations centrally.

Communication regarding future allocations, for 2027/28 and 2028/29, will be sent once the 2026/27 process is complete.

The following table shows the proportion of female full-time equivalent (FTE) general practitioners (GPs) between September 2015 and September 2025, broken down by GP role:

Notes:

1. data includes estimates for practices that did not provide fully valid staff records;
2. data does not include doctors employed by primary care networks;
3. FTE refers to the proportion of full time contracted hours that the post holder is contracted to work. One would indicate they work a full set of hours, 37.5 hours, and 0.5 that they worked half time. For GPs in training grade contracts, one FTE equals 40 hours, and in this table these FTEs have been converted to the standard Workforce Minimum Data Set measure of one FTE being equal to 37.5 hours for consistency; and
4. figures shown do not include staff working in prisons, army bases, educational establishments, specialist care centres, including drug rehabilitation centres, walk-in centres, and other alternative settings outside of traditional practice, such as urgent treatment centres and minor injury units.

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) oversees the 10 statutory bodies that regulate healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom and social workers in England. This includes the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

It scrutinises the work of the regulatory bodies by monitoring and reporting on their performance against its Standards of Good Regulation, auditing decisions made during investigations into complaints about registrants’ practise, and making referrals or appeals to the relevant court if it considers that a final fitness to practise decision is insufficient to protect the public. In its 2024/25 performance review assessments, the PSA reported that the HCPC had met 17 out of 18 Standards of Good Regulation and the GMC had met all 18 standards.

Professional regulators are not subject to the statutory Duty of Candour, which applies to health and social care providers, nor to the professional Duty of Candour, which applies to individual registrants. However, the PSA expects regulators to operate in ways that reflect the principles underpinning the Duty of Candour, including openness, transparency, and accountability. In line with the Ministerial Code, details of all ministerial meetings, including those with the PSA, are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings

In January, I met with the PSA to discuss how it carries out its oversight role and the PSA’s new Standards for regulators and Accredited registers. The updated standards will strengthen requirements on regulators and Accredited Registers with regards to public protection, learning, and improvement. The new standards will also strengthen expectations that regulators’ governing bodies and senior leaders promote openness, transparency, and learning, including how organisations respond when things go wrong and how they maintain public confidence through clear accountability and reporting.

Officials from the Department hold regular meetings with the PSA to discuss all aspects of its work.

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) oversees the 10 statutory bodies that regulate healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom and social workers in England. This includes the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

It scrutinises the work of the regulatory bodies by monitoring and reporting on their performance against its Standards of Good Regulation, auditing decisions made during investigations into complaints about registrants’ practise, and making referrals or appeals to the relevant court if it considers that a final fitness to practise decision is insufficient to protect the public. In its 2024/25 performance review assessments, the PSA reported that the HCPC had met 17 out of 18 Standards of Good Regulation and the GMC had met all 18 standards.

Professional regulators are not subject to the statutory Duty of Candour, which applies to health and social care providers, nor to the professional Duty of Candour, which applies to individual registrants. However, the PSA expects regulators to operate in ways that reflect the principles underpinning the Duty of Candour, including openness, transparency, and accountability. In line with the Ministerial Code, details of all ministerial meetings, including those with the PSA, are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings

In January, I met with the PSA to discuss how it carries out its oversight role and the PSA’s new Standards for regulators and Accredited registers. The updated standards will strengthen requirements on regulators and Accredited Registers with regards to public protection, learning, and improvement. The new standards will also strengthen expectations that regulators’ governing bodies and senior leaders promote openness, transparency, and learning, including how organisations respond when things go wrong and how they maintain public confidence through clear accountability and reporting.

Officials from the Department hold regular meetings with the PSA to discuss all aspects of its work.

Local authorities must identify young carers, including those caring for older siblings and relatives, who may need support and assess their needs when requested. We strongly support the No Wrong Doors for Young Carers Memorandum of Understanding, which promotes collaboration across children’s and adults’ services, health partners, and schools. We strongly encourage local authorities to sign up to it.

NHS England is supporting the identification of young carers through general practice guidance and improved data sharing. NHS England is also leading a cross-Government project, co-produced with young carers and voluntary, community, and social enterprise partners, to improve identification, strengthen support pathways, and join up services across education, health, and local organisations.

I chair a regular cross-Government meeting with ministers from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Department for Education, to consider how best to provide unpaid carers and young carers with the recognition and support they deserve. The Government is preparing a cross-Government action plan for unpaid carers which we plan to publish later this year. This will include actions to strengthen further the support that is provided to young carers.

Under the Care Act 2014, charging is based on a number of principles, including that people should not be charged more than it is reasonably practicable for them to pay and that charging approaches should be clear, transparent, and comprehensive so people know what they will be charged.

Where local authorities decide to charge for the provision of care and support, they must follow the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, and they must act under the Care and Support Statutory guidance.

When assessing what an individual can afford to contribute to their care costs, local authorities will conduct a financial assessment, and they can take any income and/or assets into account, unless they are required to be disregarded under the regulations.

We will be carefully monitoring the impact of the current volatility in fuel prices on the National Health Service, with a view to managing it as part of usual in-year financial management of risk. The impact on fuel prices will be felt by all organisations who rely on fuel for transport, including the indirect potential impact on the cost of deliveries, and direct costs on the NHS fleet which consists of over 20,000 vehicles travelling over 460 million miles every year. The impact is likely to vary, for example as part of the NHS Net Zero travel and transport strategy, a number of ambulance trusts are trialling zero-emission response vehicles.

NHS England publishes monthly data on submissions received via online consultation systems, including clinical and administrative requests, and the number of cloud-based telephony calls received by general practices (GPs). The annual General Practice Patient Survey and the monthly Office for National Statistics Health Insight Survey collect data on the methods patients use to contact their GP and the perceived ease of contact with each method.

As part of our ambition to end the 8:00am scramble, we want patients to contact their practice by phone, online, or by walking in, and for people to have an equitable experience across these access modes. To ensure that patients are not digitally excluded, the GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP. Practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.

Reducing rates of tooth decay is central to our commitment to help children to live healthier lives. Tooth decay is also almost entirely preventable. We are delivering the national targeted supervised toothbrushing programme for three- to five-year-olds in the most deprived areas. We are making preventative advice available to parents and young children, with oral hygiene embedded in the Healthy Child Programme and Best Start Parent Hub. Further information is available at the following two links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/healthy-child-programme-high-impact-area-framework

https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/

Water fluoridation is an effective intervention for reducing tooth decay and oral health inequalities. We will expand community water fluoridation in the north east of England from 2028, so that it reaches 1.6 million more people by April 2030, and assess further expansion in areas where oral health outcomes are worst.

We are also acting to reduce sugar consumption, which is the main risk factor for tooth decay. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy will be extended to include pre-packaged milk based and milk substitute drinks, and the lower tax threshold at which the levy applies will be lowered from 5 grams to 4.5 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres.

On 25 March, the Government launched a consultation on the proposed application of the new Nutrient Profiling Model to the advertising and promotions restrictions on less healthy food and drink.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce. We are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for endometriosis. It is unacceptable that women can wait so long for an endometriosis diagnosis and we are taking action to address this.

Nationally, we are establishing an online hospital, through NHS Online, which will give people across the country, on certain pathways, the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.

Menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis will be among the first nine conditions available for referral to NHS Online from 2027. We’ve chosen some of the conditions with the longest waits and where online consultation works best. NHS Online will help to reduce patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, four times more than an average trust, while enhancing patient choice and control over their care. This will allow women with menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis across the country to reach a diagnosis and explore treatment options sooner.

Locally in Sussex, the primary National Health Service for severe endometriosis is the Sussex Endometriosis Centre (SEC) at Princess Royal Hospital, a British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy accredited centre for complex cases, offering specialist surgical and medical management via general practice referral. Alongside this, Endometriosis UK runs local support groups in both East Sussex and West Sussex for peer support.

NHS Specialist Care, provided by the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, is based at the SEC within a Centre of Excellence for severe cases. The service supports patients with severe endometriosis symptoms affecting bowel, bladder, or uterus, and the team includes specialist gynaecologists, nurses, colorectal surgeons, and urologists. Patients can be referred either by their general practice or a local hospital.

Across Sussex, health and care partners have been making good progress with reducing long waits for patients but we recognise that there is further to go and that there are specific challenges in some specialities where cases are complex. Endometriosis is one of these areas.

NHS South East is continuing to work closely with providers, including the University Hospital Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, to support further improvements in waiting times and to remain committed to working towards delivery of the ambitions set out by the Government, to eliminate very long waits for patients, recognising the impact that long waits for treatment can have on an individual's health and wellbeing.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce. We are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for endometriosis. It is unacceptable that women can wait so long for an endometriosis diagnosis and we are taking action to address this.

Nationally, we are establishing an online hospital, through NHS Online, which will give people across the country, on certain pathways, the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.

Menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis will be among the first nine conditions available for referral to NHS Online from 2027. We’ve chosen some of the conditions with the longest waits and where online consultation works best. NHS Online will help to reduce patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, four times more than an average trust, while enhancing patient choice and control over their care. This will allow women with menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis across the country to reach a diagnosis and explore treatment options sooner.

Locally in Sussex, the primary National Health Service for severe endometriosis is the Sussex Endometriosis Centre (SEC) at Princess Royal Hospital, a British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy accredited centre for complex cases, offering specialist surgical and medical management via general practice referral. Alongside this, Endometriosis UK runs local support groups in both East Sussex and West Sussex for peer support.

NHS Specialist Care, provided by the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, is based at the SEC within a Centre of Excellence for severe cases. The service supports patients with severe endometriosis symptoms affecting bowel, bladder, or uterus, and the team includes specialist gynaecologists, nurses, colorectal surgeons, and urologists. Patients can be referred either by their general practice or a local hospital.

Across Sussex, health and care partners have been making good progress with reducing long waits for patients but we recognise that there is further to go and that there are specific challenges in some specialities where cases are complex. Endometriosis is one of these areas.

NHS South East is continuing to work closely with providers, including the University Hospital Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, to support further improvements in waiting times and to remain committed to working towards delivery of the ambitions set out by the Government, to eliminate very long waits for patients, recognising the impact that long waits for treatment can have on an individual's health and wellbeing.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce. We are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for endometriosis. It is unacceptable that women can wait so long for an endometriosis diagnosis and we are taking action to address this.

Nationally, we are establishing an online hospital, through NHS Online, which will give people across the country, on certain pathways, the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.

Menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis will be among the first nine conditions available for referral to NHS Online from 2027. We’ve chosen some of the conditions with the longest waits and where online consultation works best. NHS Online will help to reduce patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, four times more than an average trust, while enhancing patient choice and control over their care. This will allow women with menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis across the country to reach a diagnosis and explore treatment options sooner.

Locally in Sussex, the primary National Health Service for severe endometriosis is the Sussex Endometriosis Centre (SEC) at Princess Royal Hospital, a British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy accredited centre for complex cases, offering specialist surgical and medical management via general practice referral. Alongside this, Endometriosis UK runs local support groups in both East Sussex and West Sussex for peer support.

NHS Specialist Care, provided by the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, is based at the SEC within a Centre of Excellence for severe cases. The service supports patients with severe endometriosis symptoms affecting bowel, bladder, or uterus, and the team includes specialist gynaecologists, nurses, colorectal surgeons, and urologists. Patients can be referred either by their general practice or a local hospital.

Across Sussex, health and care partners have been making good progress with reducing long waits for patients but we recognise that there is further to go and that there are specific challenges in some specialities where cases are complex. Endometriosis is one of these areas.

NHS South East is continuing to work closely with providers, including the University Hospital Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, to support further improvements in waiting times and to remain committed to working towards delivery of the ambitions set out by the Government, to eliminate very long waits for patients, recognising the impact that long waits for treatment can have on an individual's health and wellbeing.

The Department works closely with regulators, local authorities, other departments, and enforcement bodies to share concerns and intelligence about illegal or unethical practices in adult social care.

The Government is creating the Fair Work Agency (FWA) to simplify the labour market enforcement system and build an economy based on fair competition and fair reward for hard work. It will bring enforcement functions of three existing bodies together, into one place, so employment rights are enforced more effectively and efficiently.

The FWA will be responsible for enforcing domestic agency rules, the national minimum wage, licensing standards for gangmasters, and acting against serious labour exploitation.

The FWA will be implemented in phases following Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Bill, with the FWA being established in April 2026.

As part of our ambition to end the 8:00am scramble, we want patients to contact their practice by phone, online, or by walking in, and for people to have an equitable experience across these access modes. To ensure that patients are not digitally excluded, the GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practice (GP). Practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.

To support patients who depend on telephone bookings, the 2025/26 GP Contract includes a requirement for all GPs to offer online booking throughout core hours, from 8:00am to 6:30pm. This is designed to ease pressure on phone lines by allowing those who prefer online booking to do so at any time, freeing up phone lines, reducing long phone queues, and improving the experience for those reliant on telephone bookings.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. It is important that reforms are locally led, as integrated care boards and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can choose to go further than the minimum aims set out in the framework, including in relation to optometry.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. It is important that reforms are locally led, as integrated care boards and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can choose to go further than the minimum aims set out in the framework, including in relation to optometry.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. It is important that reforms are locally led, as integrated care boards and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can choose to go further than the minimum aims set out in the framework, including in relation to optometry.

The Department does not centrally hold data on the number of patients in England awaiting specialised endometriosis care. In England, the waiting list for gynaecology care stands at 571,627. This is a reduction of 24,338 since the Government came into office. Waiting time data by treatment speciality, at both an integrated care board and national level, is published on the NHS.UK website.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, including endometriosis care. Action to improve endometriosis care includes commissioning researching focussed on endometriosis diagnosis, treatment, and pain, and expanding the number of dedicated and protected surgical hubs, many of which gynaecology procedures. From 2027, a new online hospital, NHS Online, will also offer patients the choice to access specialist care from home. Menstrual problems potentially indicating endometriosis or fibroids from home will be among the conditions NHS Online initially focuses on, providing appointments to cut waiting times.

The Department does not centrally hold data on the number of patients in England awaiting specialised endometriosis care. In England, the waiting list for gynaecology care stands at 571,627. This is a reduction of 24,338 since the Government came into office. Waiting time data by treatment speciality, at both an integrated care board and national level, is published on the NHS.UK website.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, including endometriosis care. Action to improve endometriosis care includes commissioning researching focussed on endometriosis diagnosis, treatment, and pain, and expanding the number of dedicated and protected surgical hubs, many of which gynaecology procedures. From 2027, a new online hospital, NHS Online, will also offer patients the choice to access specialist care from home. Menstrual problems potentially indicating endometriosis or fibroids from home will be among the conditions NHS Online initially focuses on, providing appointments to cut waiting times.

The Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is reviewed annually and published in the Local Authority Circular, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-care-charging-for-local-authorities-2026-to-2027/social-care-charging-for-care-and-support-2026-to-2027-local-authority-circular

For 2026/27, the MIG for working‑age disabled adults was increased by 7% to directly address cost of living challenges faced by this cohort and to recognise that working-age disabled adults start from a lower MIG than adults over Pension Credit age.

For those over Pension Credit age, it was increased in line with consumer price index inflation at 3.8%, as well as in line with benefits increases. Local authorities have the ability to set higher rates for the MIG if they wish, as the regulations simply set the statutory minimum.

The Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is reviewed annually and published in the Local Authority Circular, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-care-charging-for-local-authorities-2026-to-2027/social-care-charging-for-care-and-support-2026-to-2027-local-authority-circular

For 2026/27, the MIG for working‑age disabled adults was increased by 7% to directly address cost of living challenges faced by this cohort and to recognise that working-age disabled adults start from a lower MIG than adults over Pension Credit age.

For those over Pension Credit age, it was increased in line with consumer price index inflation at 3.8%, as well as in line with benefits increases. Local authorities have the ability to set higher rates for the MIG if they wish, as the regulations simply set the statutory minimum.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and to ensuring that all children can access the right support at the right time. The shift to neighbourhood health, set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, will help deliver this ambition by strengthening and joining up support around the needs of babies, children, and young people.

Neighbourhood health services will work together with Best Start Family Hubs, schools, and colleges, so that children get support quickly.

On 17 March 2026, we published a Neighbourhood Health Framework, designed to provide clarity and consistency to integrated care boards, local authorities, and their partners, in developing and scaling neighbourhood health.

The framework identifies children and young people as a high-priority cohort for improving health outcomes and recognises this as a joint endeavour between the National Health Service, local authorities, and wider partners. The framework is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neighbourhood-health-framework

No specific assessment has been made. The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published in October 2025, recognises handover delays as a system wide responsibility and effective collaboration between ambulance services, acute trusts, integrated care boards, and others is required to reduce ambulance handover times toward the 15-minute standard.

NHS England continues to monitor average hospital handover times, sharing data with regions to support focussed discussions and identify improvement actions with those trusts not achieving handovers within 45 minutes.

The first phase of The Medical Training Review has concluded. Phase 1 identified key challenges and areas for improvement across postgraduate medical training, including for foundation training, alongside what currently works well. The Phase 1 diagnostic report can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/the-medical-training-review-phase-1-diagnostic-report/

Phase 2, which is already underway, will involve working with a wide range of stakeholders across the system to design a package of reform.

NHS England is also conducting a review of the Preference Informed Allocation (PIA) method, which was introduced in 2024 as the process for allocating applicants to the UK Foundation Programme to foundation schools.

Timelines for Phase 2 of the postgraduate medical training review and the PIA review will be confirmed in due course.

The Pharmacy First advertising campaign has now run on several occasions. Evaluation of the November to December 2024 campaign showed a measurable increase in public awareness and confidence. Awareness that pharmacies can treat Pharmacy First conditions rose from 71% to 79%, trust in advice from the pharmacy team increased from 61% to 70%, and the proportion of people saying they would use a pharmacy if they experienced a Pharmacy First condition increased from 32% to 37%.

The campaign was rerun between October 2025 and January 2026 to encourage people to seek treatment for seven common conditions at their local pharmacy, supporting continued efforts to relieve pressure on general practices over the winter period. The campaign used a wide range of media channels, including television, radio, outdoor advertising, social media, and online platforms. In 2025/26, NHS England spent £2.017 million on the Pharmacy First advertising campaign.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.

We are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for gynaecological conditions including endometriosis, and we have already taken action to address this.

NHS England is updating the service specification for severe endometriosis which will be published in due course. This will improve the standards of care for women with severe endometriosis by ensuring specialist endometriosis services have access to the most up-to-date evidence and advice. This is considering specialist care for thoracic endometriosis.

Research has led to new treatments being made available, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approval of two pills to treat endometriosis this year, Relugolix and Linzagolix. Both are estimated to help approximately 1,000 women with severe endometriosis for whom other treatment options haven’t been effective.

Decisions on workforce levels and recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage resources at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services that an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in meeting this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance makes clear that ICBs must work to ensure there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which may include hospice services available within the ICB’s catchment area.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative care and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.

We recognise the significant challenges facing the hospice sector, which is why we are providing £125 million in capital funding for adult and children’s hospices, to ensure they have the best physical environment for care and to free up other funding for patient care. We are also providing approximately £80 million in revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them the stability they need to plan ahead.

NHS England continues to work closely with ICBs to support more strategic, data-driven commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, including those delivered by hospices. In February, NHS England wrote to all ICBs requesting an update on the financial stability of hospices in their footprint as a matter of urgency, and the steps being taken to mitigate risks.

We are also considering these as we develop the Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework, which will support strategic commissioning, and help address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability across the sector.

No assessment has been made. Undergraduate training places for nurses, including learning disability nurses, are not centrally commissioned by the Government. Instead, they are determined by local employers and education providers who decide the number of learners they admit based on learner demand and provider capacity.

In Spring 2026, NHS England will convene a national Learning Disability Nursing Education and Training Steering Group, bringing together a range of stakeholders to oversee key strategic priorities for the Learning Disability Nursing profession. These priorities include stabilising and growing education provision and fostering collaboration across higher education institutions.

The Government fully recognises the vital role of unpaid carers in supporting individuals with uncommon and complex disabilities and remains committed to ensuring they have the support they need.

The National Health Service works closely with local authorities and the voluntary sector to identify carers and provide a range of support, including carers’ assessments, respite care, and access to mental health services. For those caring for people with rare or complex conditions, access to specialist NHS services, alongside coordinated and personalised care plans, helps ensure that both patient and carer needs are met.

Through the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, we are strengthening personalised care and improving how carers are identified and signposted to support, including identifying them through community services and specialist charities. The plan also sets out that, from 2026/27, through a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App, unpaid carers will be able to access medical records, test results, and online prescriptions for the person they care for, with consent, supporting them in their caring role.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not held direct discussions with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) on staff satisfaction levels.

The wellbeing and staff satisfaction in EEAST is a priority, and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is committed to working with NHS England to support EEAST to deliver the urgent reforms required with staff and patient voices at the heart of our approach.

EEAST is engaging with NHS England to oversee and support sustained momentum in delivering cultural change within ambulance trusts. NHS England central and regional teams are working closely with the trust on other actions to support the workforce more widely, including on safeguarding, mental health support, and external Freedom to Speak Up provision.

The supervised toothbrushing programme will reach up to 600,000 children living in the most deprived areas of England, supported by £11 million in 2025/26, with a further £10.5 million consolidated into the Public Health Grant in 2026/27. In the first year of the programme, four million free toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste have been donated to local authorities through our partnership between the Government and Colgate-Palmolive.

An early phase evaluation is underway to understand how the programme is being delivered, including the number of schools and nurseries participating and the number of children attending these settings. Further information is available at the following link:

https://phirst.nihr.ac.uk/evaluations/national_supervised_toothbrushing_programme/

The National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Public Health Research Programme will also evaluate effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/evaluation-national-targeted-supervised-toothbrushing-programme-england/2025435?token=3ed518253355e77237e0cedf06584afcc8fbbb111251ef24c7315baf7c62502e

The regulators of registered healthcare professionals, including the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), are independent of the Government, as they are directly accountable to Parliament and responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of their statutory duties. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.

Anyone can raise concerns directly with the relevant regulator and contribute information or evidence as part of Fitness to Practise proceedings. This includes patients, family members, and third parties. Both the GMC and HCPC publish guidance and provide support for such witnesses who are involved in these proceedings.

While the Department regularly engages with the GMC and HCPC on a range of issues, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not made a separate assessment of these provisions, which sit within the regulators’ statutory responsibilities.

Everyone should have access to high-quality, compassionate palliative care and end of life care, regardless of where they live.

In England, integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care and end of life care services to meet the needs of their local populations, including those in rural and remote areas. To support ICBs in meeting this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities.

Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care has been recently extended for a further two years to run to the end of 2028, delivering high-quality policy research to help improve palliative care and end of life care, and tackle inequalities.

Through our modern service framework, 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.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.

We acknowledge that improving public awareness of endometriosis will reduce stigma and ensure symptoms are recognised, and we have taken action to address this.

In July 2025, the Department for Education published revised Relationships Education and Sex Education and Health Education statutory guidance, which emphasise the importance of ensuring that pupils have a comprehensive understanding of women’s health topics, including endometriosis. This will help young people better understand what is normal and when to seek professional help.

The women’s health area on the National Health Service website brings together over 100 different women’s health topics for the public seeking health information, including pages on periods, gynaecological conditions, and endometriosis.

The NHS YouTube channel features two video series on endometriosis and heavy periods, providing more evidence-based information for women, girls, and the wider public, as well as some short videos filmed with NHS doctors.

The Women’s Health Ambassador for England has also been raising awareness of women’s health since her appointment in 2022 by engaging extensively with NHS and healthcare leaders, voluntary sector organisations, patient groups, and industry to raise awareness of the women’s health strategy and build collaborative relationships.

Family voices are at the heart of our work to improve maternity and neonatal care.

There are four family representatives on the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, many of whom have experienced bereavement in maternity and neonatal services. To hear a wider breath of family voices, the taskforce will be supported by three family Expert Reference Groups. These will comprise of people who have lived experience of maternity and neonatal care, particularly, but not exclusively, those families and mothers who have experienced harm or bereavement.

The 12‑hour accident and emergency (A&E) performance metric recorded and reported by National Health Service trusts measures the time from a patient’s arrival in an emergency department to their admission, transfer, or discharge. This period includes triage, clinical assessments, diagnostics, and treatment, and patients may be seen by one or more clinicians during this time, or in some cases may not require assessment by a doctor depending on their acuity and care pathway.

There is a national target that patients receive an initial clinical assessment within 15 minutes of arrival in A&E. This assessment considers patient acuity, ensuring those most unwell and at greatest risk are identified and prioritised, so that clinical oversight can be adjusted accordingly and to ensure the sickest patients are seen first.

The Department does not hold an estimate of the number of patients who wait more than 12 hours in A&E before being seen by a doctor, as “being seen by a doctor” is not a data point that is routinely captured or reported.

There are some medical evidence letters, certificates, or reports that general practices (GPs) may charge for, and others that they must not charge patients for. The legislation that sets this out is the General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services Regulations, which form the basis of the GP Contract with the National Health Service. There is no statutory limit to the level of such fees as this is outside of core NHS work.

The Professional Fees Committee of the British Medical Association (BMA) suggests guideline fees for such services to help doctors to set their own professional fees.

We recognise that there are concerns about some fees GPs charge for letters and the consistency of those charges, as well as the additional burden these requests can place on GPs. Where GPs charge for that evidence, these charges should be clear, fair, and consistent. Where possible and appropriate, we would encourage people to use alternative evidence.

We are continuing to work across the Government to cut red tape and improve ways of working, including work to improve the patient experience, such as removing the need to request unnecessary medical evidence where possible.

The Government has no plans to implement the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care’s proposal to create a single assurance body for all healthcare professionals, as set out in its 2016 Regulation Rethought report.

The Government is committed to reforming the regulation of healthcare professionals across the United Kingdom, and on 24 March published its Reforming the General Medical Council legislative framework consultation, which sets out proposals to modernise the General Medical Council’s regulatory framework. The consultation runs until 23 June 2026, and further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-the-general-medical-council-legislative-framework/reforming-the-general-medical-council-legislative-framework-consultation-document

We also plan to deliver legislative reform for the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Health and Care Professions Council during this UK parliamentary term.

Thanks to actions taken by the Government, we have the highest number of fully qualified general practitioners (GPs) since 2015, at 30,038 full time equivalent in February 2026. Leaver rates also remain low by historical standards, at 7.5% in December 2024 to December 2025.

The following table shows the total and proportion of Specialty Trainee Year 3 (ST3) GPs not seen in the National Workforce Reporting Service (NWRS) within one year of the last appearance in the ST3 role, from March 2020 to December 2024:

Notes:

1. the quarter in which a GP was last seen in an ST3 role is an approximation for the date on which they qualified. This means that the figures will include some doctors who have not entered the qualified GP workforce as they discontinued their GP training in ST3, or have taken a leave of absence at ST3 level, for example for maternity/paternity leave or because they have failed their exams and do not qualify; and
2. fully qualified GPs in NWRS data are GP Partners, Salaried GPs, GP Regular Locums, and GP Retainers. Ad-hoc locums, locum or sessional GPs who typically work briefly at practices to cover for short-term or unexpected absences, are not included since information about them is captured in a different way to the rest of the workforce.

In 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This included funding for the Pharmacy Access Scheme, which provides additional funding to more isolated pharmacies to support patient access.

The Department is currently consulting with Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27. As part of this we will consider financial pressures on the sector.