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 the availability of health play (a) services and (b) professionals for children.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever, which includes ensuring that children receive the appropriate care and support whenever they need it.

In support of this commitment, NHS England and Starlight, a national charity for children’s play in healthcare, co-published the Play Well Toolkit in June 2025. The toolkit recognises the important role of health play teams and provides important guidance on best practice, enabling these teams to deliver child-friendly care. NHS England is promoting the Play Well toolkit to managers of health play services across a wide range of settings, including community clinics, emergency departments, children’s hospices, and acute paediatric wards.