Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has considered the potential merits of a national bulk buying energy contract for GP practices in England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practices (GPs) are run by independent contractors and are commissioned by integrated care boards to provide National Health Services primary medical services. Decisions around energy contracts are devolved to individual practices.
Practices’ arrangements for utilities. such as gas and electricity, vary depending on the basis or terms of each practice’s occupation of its premises. For example, some GPs have flexibility to choose energy contracts, whereas others lease premises inclusive of utilities, or pay a service charge including energy costs, where the landlord or property manager determines the energy suppliers.
Where GPs occupy NHS owned estate, GPs may benefit from any centralised energy purchasing initiatives the Government has put in place, such as Supply of Energy 2.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has been made of the total number of food hygiene officers in English local government for each year from 2010 to date.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities must ensure they perform official controls on all food businesses regularly, on a risk basis and with appropriate frequency. The Food Law Code of Practice provides these food hygiene intervention frequencies with a higher risk and/or non-compliant will receive an intervention more frequently than those compliant or lower risk.
Data pertaining to the average time between food hygiene visits undertaken for hot food takeaway venues in England is not held by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as we do not categorise food establishment in that way. This data could be gathered individually from local authorities.
Data reported to the FSA on the number of authorised food hygiene officers in England by local authorities via their returns data is as follows:
- 1,178 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2021/22;
- 1,605 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2022/23;
- 1,797 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2023/24; and
- 1,828 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2024/25.
This information does not include regulatory support officers or trainees working towards suitable qualifications. Prior to 2021/22 only questions relating to full time equivalent posts were requested from local authorities in relation to their resources.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current average time is between food hygiene visits undertaken for hot food takeaway venues in England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities must ensure they perform official controls on all food businesses regularly, on a risk basis and with appropriate frequency. The Food Law Code of Practice provides these food hygiene intervention frequencies with a higher risk and/or non-compliant will receive an intervention more frequently than those compliant or lower risk.
Data pertaining to the average time between food hygiene visits undertaken for hot food takeaway venues in England is not held by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as we do not categorise food establishment in that way. This data could be gathered individually from local authorities.
Data reported to the FSA on the number of authorised food hygiene officers in England by local authorities via their returns data is as follows:
- 1,178 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2021/22;
- 1,605 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2022/23;
- 1,797 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2023/24; and
- 1,828 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2024/25.
This information does not include regulatory support officers or trainees working towards suitable qualifications. Prior to 2021/22 only questions relating to full time equivalent posts were requested from local authorities in relation to their resources.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has been made of the number of recorded incidents of (a) verbal abuse (b) physical assault (c) sexual assault and (d) harassment against staff in (i) GP practices (ii) pharmacies (iii) dentists in England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold data on the number of recorded incidents in these settings, which are each independent contractors to the National Health Service.
We know how challenging disgraceful incidences of abuse and violence can be for staff. The Government is clear that there is never a justification for this unacceptable behaviour towards healthcare staff, who have the right to work free from fear of abuse or assault.
There is a range of NHS commissioned services available to support the mental health and wellbeing of staff across settings.
Incidents of criminal behaviour should be reported to the police. In May 2025, the Crown Prosecution Service updated guidance to prosecutors which will bring swifter justice against those that assault our frontline workers.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the value for money of management and service charges paid by GP surgeries to related parties in England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practice surgeries are independent contractors, and as private businesses it is within their own remit to consider the value for money of management and service charges paid to related parties in England.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the (a) adequacy of support services for families of patients detained or likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, and (b) benefits of developing a single point of contact service to remove the occasions where multiple calls to numerous agencies are required to secure the required support.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
While no specific assessment has been made of support services for families, we know that families play a vital role in supporting people with mental health needs through their treatment and recovery.
The Mental Health Bill includes measures that aim to ensure that people who care for the patient’s welfare, such as family or carers, are consulted by clinicians and kept informed throughout the patient’s care, treatment, and discharge.
Guidance on what information and support should be provided to families throughout the discharge process is set out in the Discharge from mental health inpatient settings statutory guidance and the Mental Health Act Code of Practice. Engagement with families, carers, and close friends should also be standard practice in community mental health services.
Integrated care boards and local authorities are also expected to work in partnership to support carers, in line with statutory guidance and local priorities. Many areas also have dedicated carers' support organisations that help connect families with resources and advocacy services, and signposting at the point of discharge from inpatient care.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of advocacy voice and weight given to representations made by family members of patients over 18 years old who are detained or likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
While no such specific assessment has been made, we recognise the value of representations made by family members of adult patients who are detained or likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act. That is why the Mental Health Bill, which is in its final stages, will give patients the right to appoint a nominated person to represent their interests and greater access to advocacy when they are detained.
The reforms in the bill also recognise the critical role that families and carers can play in keeping patients safe, providing insight and knowledge of their loved one’s wishes and preferences and an understanding of what keeps them safe. The bill will strengthen the rights of families and carers through changes to the nominated person role, and will require clinicians to consult with others close to the patient as they make decisions around their care where appropriate or where the patient wishes.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the change has been in NHS waiting lists in Oldham since July 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are clear that the extent of waits for treatment is unacceptable, and cutting waiting lists is a key priority for the Government. We have committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment.
Waiting list data is not available by town. At the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which covers Oldham, the waiting list size has fallen by over 3,000 since the Government took office in July 2024. Patients here are also facing shorter waiting times, with 53.6% of waits within 18 weeks as of September 2025, compared to 52.7% in July 2024.
We are committed to transforming elective services to ensure patients get timely access to the care they need. This includes investing £6 billion additional capital investment over five years for diagnostic, elective, urgent, and emergency capacity in the NHS.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, we delivered 5.2 million additional appointments compared to the previous year, more than double our pledge of two million. This marks a vital first step towards delivering the constitutional standard.
We promised change, and we have made good progress. As of the end of September 2025, 61.8% of pathways on the waiting list are within 18 weeks, an improvement of 3.3% since September 2024, and the number of waits over 18 weeks has reduced by almost 320,000 over the same period.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients does the government assess will be impacted by its decision to freeze prescription charges in England.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Approximately 40% of people who receive prescriptions are not entitled to exemption from National Health Service prescription charges and will therefore benefit from the decision to freeze charges for the second successive year, keeping the cost of a prescription below £10 and the cost of a prepayment certificate at just over £2 a week.
The remaining approximately 60% of patients receiving prescriptions are entitled to exemption from charges. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS England staff will be employed by successor organisations and other government bodies.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Subject to the passage of the NHS Reform Bill, NHS England will be abolished and most of its functions brought together in a new centre. Our ambition is to reduce staff numbers by up to 50% across the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and integrated care boards, which will be largely accomplished through voluntary exits. These reductions will be made by March 2028. The NHS voluntary exit scheme includes clawback arrangements that would compel employees who leave under voluntary redundancy to repay all/some of their voluntary redundancy payment if they are re-employed in the National Health Service, other Government departments or arm's length bodies within six to 12 months of their exit, depending on seniority, size of package and length of time between exit and re-employment.
In general, DHSC is the successor body to NHS England, which means most of NHS England’s functions and staff will be transferred to DHSC. However, some functions could also be transferred elsewhere in the system where there is a strong rationale for doing so. Voluntary exit schemes have been launched to enable us to reduce headcount and meet our targets for a leaner and more efficient center.
We are assessing the full range of current functions across both organisations together with initial appraisal of options for future allocation of functions. At this stage, it is too early to determine what the precise changes in personnel and organisational design will be, but this work is taking place at pace between the two organisations.
As we progress with returning functions to DHSC, due process will of course be followed, including a comprehensive assessment of any impacts and risks associated with the reforms. We will ensure our decisions are guided by evidence, and above all, focused on improving patient care.