Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 NHS retention of (a) podiatrists and (b) other specialised healthcare professionals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, 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.
Podiatrists are part of the Allied Health Professional (AHP) workforce and are employed across a range of setting and bodies, not always NHS provider trusts. Data is routinely published by NHS England to show the number of AHP staff, but information on retention rates of staff is not available at this level of granularity.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 improve (a) awareness and (b) treatment of (i) chronic and (ii) recurrent urinary tract infections.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the impact that chronic and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) can have on patients’ quality of life, and is committed to improving awareness, diagnosis, and treatment.
The Government is funding work to understand the research gaps on chronic and recurrent UTIs that matter most to patients, carers, and clinicians.
The UK Health Security Agency and NHS England ran a campaign during July 2025 to highlight UTI prevention messages for older adults, as this age group is more likely than others to be admitted to hospital for UTI.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published clinical guidance and referral pathways for recurrent UTIs, supporting clinicians to recognise symptoms, carry out appropriate testing, and refer patients for specialist assessment where needed. NHS England supports primary care through clinical guidance, responsible use of antimicrobial drugs, and professional education to improve management of UTIs.