Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the delivery of 10,910 new dental appointments in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly since February 2025 .
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.
ICBs have the flexibility to commission the additional activity in the way which best meets their local needs. Options include buying more appointments through new or recommissioned contracts, modification of existing contracts, or using flexible commissioning.
National Health Service dentistry is delegated to the ICBs, who are accountable to NHS England for the delivery of urgent dental appointments.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
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 reclassifying the NHS ambulance service as an emergency service on (a) retirement age, (b) pension entitlements and (c) other areas.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service ambulance staff are entitled to NHS Pension Scheme membership. There are no plans to reclassify these staff as being entitled to Police or Firefighter’s Pension Scheme membership, or to a separate scheme with similar terms. This reclassification would significantly increase the pension contribution costs of these staff.
NHS Pension Scheme members, including those in the ambulance service, do not have to work to the scheme’s normal pension age (NPA) to claim their retirement benefits. Flexible retirement options enable members to choose when to claim their benefits. Voluntary Early Retirement allows staff to fully retire up to ten years earlier than the NPA with an actuarially reduced pension due to the pension being in payment for longer. Alternatively, partial retirement allows members to draw down some or all of their pension while continuing to work and build up further pension benefits. Even when taken years before normal pension age, NHS Pension Scheme entitlements give exceptional value to staff and can provide for a comfortable living in retirement.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
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 adequacy of the personal expenses allowance for residents in care homes to meet the cost of (a) transport, (b) health-related services and (c) social participation.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The rates of the personal expenses allowance (PEA) are reviewed annually, and local authorities also have the discretion to set higher rates for the PEA if they so choose.
To allow people receiving means-tested support to keep more of their own income, the PEA was increased in line with consumer price index inflation for the present financial year, 2025/26.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has provided to (a) local healthcare trusts and (b) ICBs on the specification for Neighbourhood Health Centres.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has set out its vision for Neighbourhood Health Centres in the 10-Year Health Plan, co-locating National Health Service, local authority and voluntary sector services and bring historically hospital-based services into the community. These should be part of a broader offer that is defined locally to meet the local population needs holistically, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
NHS England’s health building notes give best practice guidance on the design and planning of new healthcare buildings and on the adaption or extension of existing facilities, including for primary and community care services. These are available to both NHS trusts and integrated care boards, and are available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/estates/health-building-notes/
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
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 merits of providing free covid vaccinations to unpaid carers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of severe illness, involving hospitalisation and/or death, arising from COVID-19.
The JCVI’s advice for autumn 2024 noted that in the era of high population immunity to COVID-19, and with all cases due to highly transmissible omicron sub-variants, any protection offered by the vaccine against the transmission of infection from one person to another was expected to be extremely limited. On this basis, the JCVI did not advise offering vaccination to unpaid carers. The Government accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2024, with both the advice and the Government’s response available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-accepts-advice-on-2024-autumn-covid-vaccine-programme
On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme covering vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026. In line with its advice for the autumn 2024 campaign, the JCVI does not advise COVID-19 vaccination for unpaid carers. This advice is available at the following link:
The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice on eligibility for the spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme. The Government is considering the advice for autumn 2025 and spring 2026 carefully, and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on reforming student loan repayment rules to exempt nurses from repaying those loans while they are employed within the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government currently has no plans to exempt nurses from repaying student loans. The Government keeps the funding arrangements for all healthcare students under close review in order to balance the use of finite financial resources with the level of support students require.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to expand the number of organisations under the Right to Choose pathway that are able to have their ADHD prescriptions fulfilled by the NHS.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Shared care within the National Health Service refers to an arrangement whereby a specialist doctor formally transfers responsibility for all or some aspects of their patient’s care, such as the prescription of medication, over to the patient’s general practitioner (GP).
The General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom, has made it clear that GPs cannot be compelled to enter into a shared care agreement. Shared care is not part of the GP Contract and as such, participation is voluntary. GPs may decline such requests on clinical or capacity grounds. A GP who has previously agreed to a shared care agreement but who can no longer support it must provide a clear rationale for their decision. Both the GP and the specialist clinician share responsibility for ensuring continuity of care for the patient.
The GMC has also issued guidance to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities. In deciding whether to enter into a shared care agreement, a GP will need to consider a number of factors to determine whether it is within their sphere of competence, and therefore safe and suitable for their patient’s needs. This includes being satisfied that any prescriptions or referrals for treatment are clinically appropriate.
If a shared care agreement is not in place, the responsibility for ongoing prescribing remains with the specialist clinician, which applies to both NHS and private medical care.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
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 ensure that GPs can support ADHD patients under the shared care plans through (a) reassessment, (b) re-prescription of ADHD medication and (c) other measures.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Shared care within the National Health Service refers to an arrangement whereby a specialist doctor formally transfers responsibility for all or some aspects of their patient’s care, such as the prescription of medication, over to the patient’s general practitioner (GP).
The General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom, has made it clear that GPs cannot be compelled to enter into a shared care agreement. Shared care is not part of the GP Contract and as such, participation is voluntary. GPs may decline such requests on clinical or capacity grounds. A GP who has previously agreed to a shared care agreement but who can no longer support it must provide a clear rationale for their decision. Both the GP and the specialist clinician share responsibility for ensuring continuity of care for the patient.
The GMC has also issued guidance to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities. In deciding whether to enter into a shared care agreement, a GP will need to consider a number of factors to determine whether it is within their sphere of competence, and therefore safe and suitable for their patient’s needs. This includes being satisfied that any prescriptions or referrals for treatment are clinically appropriate.
If a shared care agreement is not in place, the responsibility for ongoing prescribing remains with the specialist clinician, which applies to both NHS and private medical care.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to hire more specialists in the diagnosis of adult ADHD.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has established an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors. The taskforce is working to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the final report expected in the summer of 2025.
In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan, to inform future service planning. NHS England has also captured examples from integrated care boards who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services, and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.
We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need, when they need it.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many mental health workers will be recruited in Cornwall by 2029.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services. We are working with NHS England to consider options to deliver this commitment.
Whilst we don’t have the breakdown of how many mental health workers will be recruited in specific constituencies, this summer we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.