Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) the devolved Administrations and (b) professional bodies on the potential use of professional regulation to help improve (i) support for and (ii) levels of retention among healthcare professionals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Officials from the Department have regularly met their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss and update on the development of the 10 Year Plan in England. 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.
NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.
In terms of support, local employers across the NHS have in place arrangements for supporting staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on healthy working environments. At a national level, NHS England has made available additional emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support. They have also set out a roadmap for the NHS and partner organisations to work together to develop and invest in occupational health and wellbeing services for NHS staff.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) the devolved Administrations and (b) professional bodies on the potential use of immigration policy to help improve (i) support for and (ii) levels of retention among healthcare professionals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Officials from the Department have regularly met their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss and update on the development of the 10 Year Plan in England. 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.
NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.
In terms of support, local employers across the NHS have in place arrangements for supporting staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on healthy working environments. At a national level, NHS England has made available additional emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support. They have also set out a roadmap for the NHS and partner organisations to work together to develop and invest in occupational health and wellbeing services for NHS staff.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) his counterparts in the devolved Administrations and (b) professional bodies on the potential merits of amending pension rules to help (i) reduce burnout and (ii) improve retention among healthcare professionals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In common with the pension schemes for National Health Service workforces in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the NHS Pension Scheme for England and Wales provides a good pension for retirement. The scheme also offers a partial retirement option which allows older NHS staff to draw down part of their pension and continue working in a more flexible way, either with a reduction in hours or a change in responsibilities.
While no specific discussions have been held recently on amending pension rules, the Government continues to work closely with the devolved administrations and professional bodies through the NHS Pension Scheme Advisory Board to ensure the scheme supports the retention of experienced and skilled NHS staff.
The health and wellbeing of NHS staff is a top priority. Employers across the NHS in England have their own arrangements in place for supporting their staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and health and wellbeing guardian roles. At a national level, NHS England has made available additional support. This includes a focus on healthy environments, tools and resources to support line managers, and emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) his counterparts in the devolved Administrations and (b) professional bodies on the potential merits of amending tax policy to help (i) reduce burnout and (ii) improve retention among healthcare professionals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There have been no recent discussions with counterparts in the devolved administrations or professional bodies about the merits of amending pension tax policy. Tax policy is a matter for my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In the last few years there have been significant increases in the allowances for tax-free pension saving, incentivising senior doctors and other health professionals to continue their National Health Service work.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase care home capacity.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes commissioning a diverse range of care and support services that enable people to access quality care.
Care Quality Commission registration data, showing the number of care homes and number of total beds, remains stable and in line with historic trends. The latest data for June 2025 is available via the Care Directory with Filters at the following link:
https://www.cqc.org.uk/about-us/transparency/using-cqc-data
To support local authorities, the Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund (MSIF) will provide over £1 billion to local authorities in England for adult social care over 2025/26. The MSIF can be used flexibly by local authorities, based on their areas’ needs, to target increasing fee rates paid to adult social care providers, increasing adult social care workforce recruitment and retention, and/or reducing waiting times for care.
The 2025 Spending Review also allows for an increase of over £4 billion of funding for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the National Health Service contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, compared to 2025/26.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
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 of developing a National Brain Tumour Strategy.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt. Hon friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has announced that a National Cancer Plan for England will be published this year. The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including brain tumour patients. Research is also a key focus of the plan, and we will work closely with partners including the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) on this.
We realise that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with brain tumours, and we recognise the significant impact this rare cancer can have on patients, carers and their families. The government is invested in driving new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours.
Furthermore, the Department, NHS England and NIHR are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations to implement a national strategy for treating neurological conditions.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
There are no current plans to implement a national strategy for neurological conditions. We have, however, announced that we are setting up a new United Kingdom-wide neuro forum, facilitating formal, biannual meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and the Neurological Alliances of all four nations in the UK.
The new forum will bring key stakeholders together to share learning across the UK, discuss important neurology services’ transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions that will add to both the existing programmes of work and wider health plans.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations to implement a national brain cancer strategy.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Health Services across the United Kingdom are devolved. In England, we are developing a 10-year plan to radically reform the National Health Service, and my Rt Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that there needs to be a national cancer plan, which will include brain cancer. We are currently in discussions about this plan and its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider health mission.
UK Government Ministers regularly engage with their counterparts in the Devolved Governments. No discussions have been had about a UK-wide national brain cancer strategy.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with the devolved Administrations to help (a) reduce waiting times for gynaecological services and (b) address menstrual health inequalities.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst health is a devolved issue, we intend to work closely with our partners across the devolved administrations in providing support and sharing best practice, to reduce waiting lists and fix the National Health Service. Cutting waiting lists, including for gynaecology, is a key part of our Health Mission and a top priority for the Government. The Government is committed to putting patients first, which means making sure that they are seen on time and have the best possible experience during their care, no matter where they are treated in the United Kingdom.
The Government is also committed to prioritising women’s health, as we build an NHS fit for the future, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions. Department officials have met and continue to meet with counterparts across the four nations to share learning across a range of women’s health policy issues, including menstrual health. Together we aim to deliver faster, improved, and more equitable health outcomes for all patients across the UK, and to strengthen our collaboration in achieving these common goals.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to work with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations to help (a) increase the flexibility of NHS appointment systems and (b) reduce the number of missed appointments across the UK.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients are seen on time and have the best possible experience during their care, no matter where they are treated in the UK. Whilst health is a devolved issue, we intend to work closely with partners across the devolved governments in providing support and sharing best practice to reduce waiting lists and fix the NHS, including the configuration of appointment systems and policies relating to reducing Did Not Attends (DNAs).
Together we aim to deliver faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients across the UK, and strengthen our collaboration in achieving these common goals.