Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Dental patients to benefit from 700,000 extra urgent appointments, published on 21 February 2025, how many additional urgent dental appointments will be delivered in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency in (a) 2025–26 and (b) 2026-27.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.
Appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, which includes the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency, is expected to deliver 57,559 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.
Data on delivery of urgent dental care, including additional delivery, will be published annually as part of the NHS Dental Statistics England Official Statistics series. These statistics are released each August and are the primary source of data on the delivery of NHS dental care.
On 16 December, we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. More information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dental practices are currently accepting new NHS patients in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency; and what data his Department holds on waiting times for NHS dental treatment in that constituency for the latest available period.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements. Therefore, data on waiting times for NHS dental treatment is not held centrally.
As of 3 November 2025, there were six NHS dentist practices in the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency, with one showing as ‘accepting new child patients when availability allows’ and zero showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’. This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist
Integrated care board (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population. For the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency, this is the North East and North Cumbria ICB.
We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments across the country, with appointments more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. The Government is also considering the outcomes of the consultation on immediate improvements to dental care and will publish a response shortly.
We are committed to reforming the dental sector and we will deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of GP appointments (a) offered, (b) attended and (c) cancelled by practices in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency in the most recent year for which data is available; and if will make it his policy to monitor trends in practice-cancelled appointments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General Practice Appointment Data is published monthly by NHS England and captures information on appointments that have occurred, rather than those that are offered. The data also only includes appointments that were attended or marked as 'Did Not Attend' (DNA), not those that are cancelled.
Since cancelled slots can often be rebooked and used by other patients, the most reliable and meaningful data to collect are both attended appointments and DNAs.
In September 2025, in the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East Constituency, 1.04 million appointments were delivered, and 54,000 appointments were not attended.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what estimate he has made of the number of locum pharmacists who have lost earned income as a result of the closure of Jhoots Pharmacies; and what guidance his Department has issued to ensure those pharmacists receive such payments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.
The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.
Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.
The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.
Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.
Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what mechanisms his Department has put in place to monitor the performance of (a) Jhoots Pharmacy and (b) other large pharmacy chains; and how he plans to report to Parliament on progress on that monitoring.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.
The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.
Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.
The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.
Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.
Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what steps he is taking to ensure continued patient access to medicines in areas where Jhoots Pharmacy branches have reduced opening hours or closed; and when he expects Integrated Care Boards to have implemented full contingency arrangements.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.
The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.
Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.
The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.
Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.
Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what estimate his Department has made of how many people have been left without local pharmacy access as a result of Jhoots’s actions; and what steps he is taking to tackle that lack of access.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.
The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.
Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.
The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.
Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.
Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Care of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, column 377, what progress his officials have made in exploring options to strengthen the regulatory framework for pharmacies that breach their NHS terms of service.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.
The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.
Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.
The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.
Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.
Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his statement of 15 October 2025 on Jhoots Pharmacy, Official Report, col 377, when he plans to update the House on the outcome of his officials’ engagement with Integrated Care Boards and the General Pharmaceutical Council on regulatory action against Jhoots Pharmacy.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 11 November, I wrote to all Members of this House with an update on actions taken to date.
The Department is currently conducting an analysis of how pharmacies are regulated to ensure that all those with contract management and registration responsibilities can swiftly take action proportionate to the scale of the failures. If this analysis identifies gaps that can be filled by legislative changes, the House will be able scrutinise any proposed legislative changes in the usual way.
Where pharmacies close, integrated care boards (ICBs) will work with other local pharmacies and general practices to ensure patients can continue to access their medicines. Patients may also use distance-selling pharmacies, which are required to deliver prescription medicines directly to patients’ homes free of charge.
The Department continues to monitor changes to the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients. Local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards are also required to undertake and update pharmaceutical needs assessments to ensure that provision in their area is adequate. These assessments and any supplementary statements are published.
Pharmacy premises and pharmacy professionals are monitored and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and ICBs monitor and enforce adherence to the NHS Terms of Service for pharmacies. The details about actions taken by the GPhC are published on their website.
Pharmacy staff and locum pharmacists are not employed by the National Health Service but by pharmacy businesses who both provide private pharmaceutical services and hold contracts for NHS services. Any dispute between staff or employed locum pharmacists and a pharmacy business should be raised with the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service which has powers to provide arbitration and binding decisions in such matters.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits for recruitment and retention of agreeing a long-term strategy to improve pay in real terms for the workforces covered by (a) the Dentists and Doctors Pay Review Body and (b) the NHS Pay Review Body.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to make these specific assessments. The Government is committed to a credible, independent Pay Review Body (PRB) process as the right mechanism to recommend annual pay increases for most public sector staff. In her statement on the public finances on 29 July 2024, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed that the Government wished to continue to use the PRB process.
The role of the NHS Pay Review Body and the Dentists and Doctors Pay Review Body is to make recommendations to the Prime Minister and ministers on the annual pay award for National Health Service staff and other related matters within their remit. They act independently of the Government.
The PRBs lay out in their reports the reasoning for their recommended awards based on their terms of reference. In reaching their recommendations, the review bodies have regard to recruitment and retention and are required to take careful account of the economic and other evidence submitted by the Government, trades unions, representatives of NHS employers, and others.
The Government is not bound by PRB recommendations, and it's for my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to decide how to respond to the recommendations of PRBs for the NHS in England.