Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish a social care workforce strategy, in the context of the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to publish a social care workforce strategy in response to the Immigration White Paper. However, we are actively supporting the workforce through a range of ongoing initiatives.
It is the Government’s policy to reduce reliance on international recruitment in adult social care and to improve domestic recruitment and retention. Overseas recruitment for adult social care is ending. The new rules will come into effect on 22 July 2025.
There will be a transition period until 2028, to be kept under review, where in-country applications, including from other visa routes, will continue to be permitted for care workers and senior care workers, provided individuals are already working in the sector. This means, for example, that care providers will continue to be able to access students and individuals on the graduate route, who we know have provided a vital role in workforce capacity in recent years.
The Department is providing up to £12.5 million this financial year to 15 regional partnerships to help support international care workers affected by license revocation into alternative, ethical employment. It also includes regional partnerships providing support with CV writing, interview techniques, employability skills support, support to better understand workplace culture in the United Kingdom, and signposting.
The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and improve the retention of the domestic workforce. This is why we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.
We are also expanding the Care Workforce Pathway, the new national career structure, to make the adult social care sector more attractive to work in. In addition, care workers will be supported to safely take on further duties to deliver delegated healthcare activities, with the right training and clinical governance in place.
In September 2024, we launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme, which allows employers to claim for funding for training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible staff. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year.
In addition, the Department has launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission forms a key part of the Government’s Plan for Change, recognising the importance of adult social care in its own right, as well as its role in supporting the National Health Service.
In conclusion, while the commission carries out its work, we are already laying the groundwork for more substantial, long-term changes that will create a more resilient and sustainable workforce.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the planned re-organisation of the BLMK ICB with (a) Hertfordshire and (b) Cambridgeshire & Peterborough on the provision of GP services in Wixams.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The clustering of integrated care boards (ICBs) in Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes (BLMK), and Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is not expected to have a direct impact on primary care provision. ICBs will remain responsible for ensuring adequate primary care provision for the communities they serve. There are exploratory discussions underway between the BLMK ICB, the Central Bedfordshire Council, the developer of Wixams Town Centre, and Bedford Borough Council regarding options for delivering permanent healthcare provision in Wixams. These discussions are ongoing.
As the plans for ICB reconfiguration progress, there remains a focus on place-based working and maintaining strong relationships with local partners.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that ICBs effectively represent small and rural communities, in the context of the re-organisation of ICBs.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within the health and care structure. ICBs are responsible for commissioning health and care services for every person within their locality, including people from small and rural communities. We expect ICBs to continue delivering on all of their statutory responsibilities for all of their residents, including those from small and rural communities.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether ICBs will be expected to fund redundancy costs from re-organisation from their day-to-day budgets.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we are clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as reducing integrated care board running costs and National Health Service provider corporate costs, in order to reduce waste and bureaucracy. Good progress is being made, with the Department and NHS England having announced voluntary exit or redundancy schemes.
We have recently announced the Spending Review settlement which provides an additional £29 billion of annual day to day spending in real terms by 2028/29, compared to 2023/24. Ahead of asking the NHS to commence a multi-year planning round, we are now carefully reviewing how the settlement is prioritised, including making provision for redundancy costs.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled NHS leaders face both ‘carrot and stick’ in new performance drive, published on 15 May 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the provision to not implement pay rises on equal pay in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care accepted the headline pay recommendations for National Health Service staff from the independent pay review bodies, and staff will receive their backdated pay uplifts from August
The Department conducted an equality impact assessment of the new pay framework for very senior managers (VSMs), which includes the provision to withhold pay uplifts for VSMs working in underperforming organisations, defined as the organisations placed in segment five of the new NHS Oversight Framework.
It found that, overall, the proposal to withhold pay uplifts for VSMs in segments five is not expected to result in a statistically significant difference in relation to protected characteristics. As VSMs are not employed on national contracts, local remuneration committees will be required to assess the impact on equalities in relation to decisions on pay at an organisation level.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ask NHS England to publish an analysis of the options they have considered for re-organisation of ICBs in the East of England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The proposals for the clustering of integrated care boards (ICBs) across England were considered in view of the ambition set out in the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan and NHS England’s Model ICB Blueprint. Specifically, the Government’s aim to strengthen the role of ICBs as strategic commissioners whilst delivering efficiency savings through creating leaner and more agile structures.
Although the Government will not publish a detailed analysis of the options considered in each region, options for the re-organisation of ICBs in the east of England were considered in view of the ambition detailed above, with careful consideration of the local circumstances and meeting the running cost allowance envelope of £18.76 per head of population.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the expected population coverage of each ICB in England is following the proposed re-organisation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In order to optimise the impact of strategic commissioning, and release resources to the frontline, we are working with integrated care boards to so that they cover populations of approximately two million people.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS employees have a level 7 apprenticeship qualification.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold the information requested.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 AI doctors’ assistant to speed up appointments a ‘gamechanger’, published on 27 April 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure quality control safeguards.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is committed to supporting and enabling the safe deployment and adoption of new technology for the National Health Service. The adoption of ambient voice technology (AVT) solutions holds transformative potential for any care setting. Their adoption, when used safely and securely, is to be encouraged to improve both the quality of patient care and operational efficiency. NHS England has published guidance on how digital technologies should be approved for use in the NHS, covering key areas such as implementation, information governance, data, security, privacy, and controls. Additional national guidance explains how AVT solutions should be selected, deployed, and scaled. These standards are required for any AVT solution to be considered safe, effective, and eligible for NHS adoption.
There are strict safeguards in place throughout the NHS to protect data. All providers of services which handle patient data must protect that data in line with UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, and every health organisation is required to appoint a Caldicott Guardian to advise on the protection of people’s health and care data, and to ensure it is used properly. This includes where artificial intelligence (AI) is used in relation to patient records.
To mitigate the likelihood and severity of any potential harm to individuals arising from the use of data in AI, the Information Commissioners Office has developed detailed AI guidance which provides information on data protection, including Data Protection Impact Assessments and UK GDPR. It has also produced an AI toolkit to support organisations auditing the compliance of their AI-based technologies. NHS bodies are expected to make use of this guidance and toolkit, including those using AVTs.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much capital funding will be provided for maintenance at (a) Bedford and (b) Luton & Dunstable hospitals as part of spending commitments made in the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2025/26, the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been provided with £10.5 million from the Estates Safety Fund to address critical infrastructure and safety risks. Of this, £9.3 million will go to Bedford Hospital and £1.2 million will go to Luton and Dunstable Hospital.
This funding is in addition to the £62 million of operational capital, including Primary Care Business as Usual Capital, provisionally allocated to the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board in 2025/26 for addressing local priorities, including investment in maintenance and repairs at Bedford and Luton and Dunstable hospitals.
Specific allocations and funding beyond the current financial year are subject to further planning.