Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role NHS Trusts have in (a) identifying and (b) reporting suspected incidences of child grooming by organised gangs.

Every National Health Service trust has a contractual obligation to adhere to the NHS Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework 2024, which includes the protection of children from abuse, harm, or violence.

In addition, every registered health professional working across the NHS has a professional duty of care to protect children from abuse, harm, or violence.

The data on reported grooming by gangs is not captured by NHS England but would be held confidentially between each NHS trust and the local police.