Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 potential impact of IT issues on pharmacies claiming payment for Pharmacy First Services that they have carried out.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Payments made to pharmacy contractors in England are set out in the Drug Tariff. Within the Drug Tarif there are discretionary provisions for advanced services, including Pharmacy First, that allow contractors to receive payment if the submission of claims data was delayed by an IT issue outside the contractor’s control. All payments are subject to an investigation by the NHS Business Services Authority and the required evidence being supplied by the contractor and IT system supplier.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of newly qualified physiotherapists that have secured work within 12 months of qualifying.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The requested data is not held.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 adequacy of the number of job places available for newly qualified physiotherapists.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The requested data is not held.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the most recent competition ratio is for newly qualified physiotherapists.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The requested data is not held.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 96945 on Ophthalmic Services, what steps his Department is taking to share best practice between Integrated Care Boards in order to reduce regional inequalities in access to eye care services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are encouraged to share best practice to help reduce regional inequalities in access to eye care services via the NHS Future Platform
The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme also has best practice guidance for ophthalmology. More information is available at the following link:
https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/surgical_specialties/ophthalmology/
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) effectiveness of the Pharmacy First Model in Scotland and (b) potential merits of expanding a similar service in England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacy First in England was launched on 31 January 2024. This incorporated existing elements under the former Community Pharmacist Consultation Service and introduced a new clinical pathways element. The new clinical pathways element allows patients to receive treatment for seven common health conditions without the need for a general practitioner (GP) appointment.
As health is a devolved matter, the Pharmacy First service in Scotland is commissioned separately to the one in England. The conditions covered by the English and Scottish schemes do differ slightly, but the services operate in a similar manner. Both operate a consultation service under which pharmacists can provide some prescription only medicines without the need to see a prescriber. In addition, Scotland commissions the expanded Pharmacy First Plus service, which has a broader scope and can be provided by pharmacists with a prescribing qualification. In line with the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to giving pharmacists in England more ability to prescribe and to manage a range of health conditions.
The Department has not formally assessed the Scottish scheme, but the Pharmacy First service design was informed by best practice from similar locally commissioned services and services commissioned by the devolved governments. NHS England will keep the clinical scope of the service under review.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to reform the general practice funding model.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the importance of ensuring that the funding for core general practice (GP) services is distributed equitably between practices across the country. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 25 June that, through the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government will review the GP funding formula, the Carr-Hill formula, with the aim of ensuring that resources are targeted where they are most needed.
In November, I wrote to MPs to inform them of the details of the review.
The review is being conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the commencement of the review was announced on 9 October. Recommendations are expected in March 2026. The review will draw on a range of evidence and advice from experts, with a focus on how health need is reflected in funding. Ministers will then decide whether to proceed with the technical development and testing of a new formula, and any other changes motivated by the review.
Implementation of any new funding approach will be subject to ministerial decision, in the context of the available funding and our commitment to substantively reform the General Medical Services Contract within this Parliament.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions taking to capture the views of medical professionals working with patients with mental health conditions, ADHD and autism as part of the review process.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism will appoint an advisory working group. This will be a multidisciplinary group of leading academics, clinicians, epidemiological experts, charities, and people with lived experience to directly shape the recommendations and scrutinise the evidence.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions taking to capture the views of people with lived experience of mental health conditions, ADHD and autism as part of the review process.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism will appoint an advisory working group. This will be a multidisciplinary group of leading academics, clinicians, epidemiological experts, charities, and people with lived experience to directly shape the recommendations and scrutinise the evidence.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to WPQ 94952 answered on 10 December 2025 about Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, when in 2026 will Diagnosis Connect be rolled out across England to provide tailored information and support to newly diagnosed Chohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis patients.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Initially, the Diagnosis Connect Service will be piloted across a small number of long-term conditions which will be determined based on conditions diagnosed and referred from primary care, and readiness of the charities to proceed, as well as considerations around which diagnostic pathways might most benefit from this approach.
The aim will be to focus more support going to those with greatest need and areas with the worst health outcomes, therefore impacting on inequalities.
An open procurement process will enable us to secure a partnership with three or more specialist charities which have the infrastructure, capabilities, and networks to deliver a successful pilot for patients and the National Health Service, ahead of a full rollout across the wider health system.