Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many NHS staff they estimate will be treated at the staff treatment hubs announced in the 10 Year Health Plan for England in the first five years following their establishment.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions.
The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources, including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.
Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatment hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, and capacity.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria will be used to determine where to locate the staff treatment hubs announced in the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions.
The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources, including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.
Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatment hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, and capacity.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the timeframe for establishing the first staff treatment hubs under the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions.
The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources, including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.
Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatment hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, and capacity.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many staff treatment hubs will be established as part of the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions.
The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources, including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.
Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatment hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, and capacity.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of establishing the staff treatment hubs announced in the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions.
The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources, including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.
Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatment hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, and capacity.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the expansion of prehabilitation and rehabilitation services in cancer care could (1) contribute to cost saving in the NHS, and (2) improve patient outcomes.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England are taking a number of steps to support systems to deliver cost-effective, lifesaving prehabilitation and rehabilitation services. Local planning for prehabilitation and rehabilitation services is devolved to National Health Service trusts and Cancer Alliances in their locality.
NHS England has highlighted the positive impact of efficient prehabilitation and rehabilitation on cancer outcomes and the potential to lead to cost savings. The PRosPer Cancer Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation learning programme, launched in partnership between NHS England and Macmillan Cancer support, aims to support allied health professionals and the wider healthcare workforce in developing their skills in providing personalised care, prehabilitation, and rehabilitation in the cancer pathway.
The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will look at how we can improve patient outcomes, and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, including prehabilitation and rehabilitation services where appropriate.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to implement automatic enrolment into smoking cessation programmes when people register for other NHS services or check-in to appointments.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are committed to ensuring that all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has prioritised and put new funding out to integrated care boards for the rollout of tobacco dependence services in hospital settings, including acute and mental health inpatient settings and maternity services. Future funding decisions are subject to the Spending Review process.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the National Cancer Plan will include measures to widen access to cancer screening programmes in deprived areas.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan, which will build on the shifts in care set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, to diagnose cancers earlier. Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it easier for people to access cancer screening, diagnostics, and treatment in patients’ local areas, backed by the latest technology, to drive up this country’s cancer survival rates. We will increase participation in screening programmes by taking innovative approaches like self-sampling for cervical screening and digital booking.
The National Cancer Plan, to be published later this year, will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis, as well as how we will prioritise screening programmes and improve participation, including participation from people in deprived areas.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that integrated care boards (1) better assess the mental health needs of young people, and (2) provide more integrated community based mental health support for young people; and what plans they have to publish statutory guidance for integrated care boards in this area.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for determining and meeting the mental health needs of the young people in their local populations, and there are no plans to publish statutory guidance in this area. The Department expects integrated care boards to continue to improve access to community-based mental health support for children and young people under our plans to shift more care out of hospitals and into the community, under the 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support online pharmacies and distance-selling pharmacies to provide for under-served populations.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to rebuilding the pharmacy sector and have increased the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.1 billion. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service in 2025/26, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This funding is available to be earned by both brick-and-mortar pharmacies and distance selling pharmacies.
There are more brick-and-mortar pharmacies in the most deprived areas of the country. Patients across the country can choose to access NHS pharmaceutical services from their local pharmacy or remotely through distance selling pharmacies. All pharmacy contractors must provide NHS essential services such as dispensing and can choose to provide NHS advanced services such as Pharmacy First. Most services can be provided face-to-face or remotely.