Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 merits of allowing the adoption of Limited Liability Partnerships for GPs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Currently, Limited Liability Partnerships cannot hold General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services contracts. However, general practice (GP) partners can take steps to reduce their personal liability and financial risk. For example, limited companies can be used to manage risks in the partnership. GP partnerships can also manage different liabilities through indemnities and different forms of insurance. As independent contractors and small business owners, these are decisions that GP partners make, with legal and accounting advice.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the rules that allow private companies working in the NHS to avoid paying VAT.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
HM Treasury is committed to implementing the Public Sector Value Added Tax (VAT) reform which will remove the current disparity for VAT recovery between National Health Service trusts and private companies working in the NHS.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of NHS Trusts setting up wholly owned subsidiary companies to avoid paying VAT.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The current NHS England guidance dated February 2024, titled Guidance for assuring and supporting complex change – subsidiaries guidance for trusts forming or changing a subsidiary, confirms that the Department “reminded all NHS provider finance directors in September 2017 of their responsibilities around tax, advising that tax avoidance arrangements should not be entered into under any circumstances. We expect all NHS providers to follow this guidance when considering any new arrangements or different ways of working”
A perceived VAT advantage of setting up a wholly owned subsidiary cannot be the only reason for its creation. Subsidiary proposals should be driven by a robust commercial strategy that delivers clear financial, operational, and patient benefits.
No assessment is planned or deemed necessary.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to issue new guidance to NHS Trusts advising them not to set up wholly owned subsidiary companies to avoid paying VAT.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The current NHS England guidance dated February 2024, titled Guidance for assuring and supporting complex change – subsidiaries guidance for trusts forming or changing a subsidiary, sets out the VAT position of wholly owned subsidiaries and confirms that “the commercial rationale is not dependent on the subsidiary enabling a VAT treatment that differs from the trust’s current arrangements”.
There are no plans for this guidance to be updated.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many overseas social care workers have been successful in finding a new sponsor through the redeployment pool since 9 April 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
According to the latest available data, between 1 April and 30 April 2025, 165 overseas care workers were successfully supported into new employment by the regional partnerships funded by the Department. This data is self-reported by the regional partnerships and has not been independently verified by the Department or UK Visas and Immigration. Overseas workers are also not obliged to report their employment outcomes. Data for May 2025 and beyond is not yet available.
Between July 2024 and April 2025, a total of 940 overseas care workers have been successfully supported into new employment. In addition, thousands more are being supported through the regional partnerships with CV writing, interview techniques, employability skills support, support to better understand workplace culture in the United Kingdom, and signposting.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England has made an assessment of the potential merits of commissioning selective internal radiation therapy for patients with neuroendocrine tumours.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Radiotherapy treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals. They consider all aspects of a patient's health and circumstances when recommending treatment options. While certain treatments may not be advised for some patients, these decisions are based on medical assessments and what is best for the individual's overall health and well-being. For this reason, NHS England has not made an assessment on the potential impact of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) on survival outcome and quality of life for neuroendocrine tumour patients. However, the Department recognises the need to offer patients who need it the most suitable treatment, including SIRT.
NHS England commissions SIRT for chemotherapy refractory/intolerant metastatic colorectal cancer in adults in accordance with the criteria outlined at the following link:
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England plans to commission selective internal radiation therapy for patients with neuroendocrine tumours.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Radiotherapy treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals. They consider all aspects of a patient's health and circumstances when recommending treatment options. While certain treatments may not be advised for some patients, these decisions are based on medical assessments and what is best for the individual's overall health and well-being. For this reason, NHS England has not made an assessment on the potential impact of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) on survival outcome and quality of life for neuroendocrine tumour patients. However, the Department recognises the need to offer patients who need it the most suitable treatment, including SIRT.
NHS England commissions SIRT for chemotherapy refractory/intolerant metastatic colorectal cancer in adults in accordance with the criteria outlined at the following link:
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to deliver a new National Carers Strategy in the next 12 months.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.
I also chair a regular cross-Government meeting made up of ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Department for Education to consider how we can provide unpaid carers with the recognition and support they deserve.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is planning to take to improve the delivery of joined-up care for people affected by (a) axial spondyloarthritis and (b) other musculoskeletal health conditions following the abolition of NHS England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As we bring together the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to form a new joint centre, we will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, including for people with axial spondyloarthritis and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, driving productivity up, and getting waiting times down. By the end of the process, we estimate that these changes will save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services.
We continue to take forward the Government’s ambitious reform agenda as set out in the health mission, with more details to come when the 10-Year Health Plan is published. The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving MSK care for people in all parts of the country. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support people to manage their long-term conditions, including MSK conditions, closer to home.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, on the employment of overseas workers in the social care sector.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The immigration White Paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System, was collectively agreed across Government, and is available at the following link:
In the technical annex, published alongside the White Paper, the Home Office has estimated an annual reduction of approximately 7,000 main applicants as a result of ending overseas recruitment for care workers and senior care workers. This is based on their internal management information for entry visas granted covering the period March 2024 to February 2025. This estimate reflects that there was a drop in visa grants of more than 90% compared with the 12 months ending in March 2024, when more than 83,000 entry visas were granted to care workers and senior care workers. The analysis in the technical annex will be refined and included within the relevant impact assessments accompanying the rule changes, as appropriate. The technical annex is available at the following link:
As set out in the immigration White Paper, visa extensions and in-country switching for those already in the country and with working rights will be permitted for a transition period until 2028. This will be kept under review.
DHSC are providing up to £12.5m to regional partnerships in 2025/26 to respond to unethical international recruitment practices in the adult social care sector. This includes supporting international recruits impacted by sponsor licence revocations to find alternative employment.
Care workers are essential to those who draw on care and support, helping them to maintain their quality of life, independence, and connection to the things that matter to them. In England, as per the Care Act 2014, it is the responsibility of local government to develop a market that delivers a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, that will be available to their communities. English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care.
The Department continues to monitor adult social care workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool, and intelligence from key sector partners.