theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) integrated care boards and (b) trusts (i) collect and (ii) publish data on the provision of respiratory diagnostics. \p Karin Smyth: Neighbourhood level respiratory diagnostic hubs support our vision of delivering more diagnostics and care outside of hospitals and in communities. Respiratory diagnostic hubs have been piloted and developed in many parts of England, and this learning will be informing the development of more neighbourhood health services.

Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are also supporting this vision, as 170 CDCs are now operational across England. All standard model CDCs are required to offer a range of diagnostic tests that support the diagnosis of respiratory conditions, including spirometry and lung function tests.

CDCs offer local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests, including respiratory diagnostic services, closer to home and with greater choice on where and how they are undertaken, reducing the need for hospital visits and speeding up diagnosis, whilst also reducing pressure on hospitals.

We are continuing to invest in expanding diagnostic capacity in the National Health Service, including through increasing CDC capacity. As set out in the Elective reform Plan, we plan to build up to five more CDCs in 2025/26, alongside increasing the operating hours of existing sites so that more offer services 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) play a vital role in commissioning and shaping diagnostic services to meet the needs of their local populations. Addressing the earlier diagnosis and treatment of their populations with respiratory conditions is a significant priority for ICBs.

ICBs are responsible for commissioning Local Enhanced Services, including respiratory diagnostics, which are not agreed nationally and can vary in scope and funding to fit local needs.

Activity and waiting times for the main respiratory tests are not included in the National Diagnostic Activity and Waiting Times Collection. However, NHS England’s National Diagnostic Programme undertakes an annual snap-shop data collection in respiratory diagnostics to understand levels of activity and waiting times for a range of respiratory tests within trusts across England.

NHS England’s Respiratory Programme, in collaboration with national stakeholders, has also developed a standardised spirometry data capture template. This tool is designed to support ICBs in consistently recording and reporting spirometry activity, enabling improved oversight, service planning, and equitable access to respiratory diagnostics.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of NHS England’s processes for (a) identifying and (b) responding to concerns about the (i) quality and (ii) accuracy of children’s hearing test services; and what steps his Department is taking to improve the (A) consistency and (B) reliability of children’s hearing tests. \p Karin Smyth: In December 2021, a report was published into service issues in children’s hearing services in NHS Lothian. The report focused on whether children’s hearing tests were being conducted properly and were effectively followed up. Further problems with the diagnosis of hearing issues in newborns and children were identified in other Scottish NHS trusts in 2023.

Subsequent assessment of NHS hearing services in children’s departments across England in 2023 and 2024 identified similar problems. In 2023, NHS England established the Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme to address the issues and oversee remedial action.

In April 2025, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, appointed Dr Camilla Kingdon to chair an independent review into children’s hearing services. The review has considered:

The Department is currently considering next steps and how to ensure lessons learned can be acted upon promptly, including whether steps need to be taken to improve both the consistency and reliability of children’s hearing tests.

NHS England is supporting provider organisations and integrated care boards who are the commissioners of audiology services to improve performance and reduce waiting lists for appointments and assessments for hearing services. This includes capital investment to upgrade audiology facilities in NHS trusts, expanding audiology testing capacity via community diagnostic centres, and directing support through a national audiology improvement collaborative.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) prescribers and (b) pharmacy contractors adhere to guidance on the prescribing of ADHD medication by generic name. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department has made no assessment of the potential impact of brand-specific prescribing on the availability of medication at pharmacies.

Decisions about what medicines to prescribe are made by the doctor or healthcare professional responsible for that part of the patient’s care. Prescribers must always satisfy themselves that the medicines that they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed and that they take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards.

Prescribers can normally prescribe a medicine by brand or by the generic name, and in primary care, where a prescription specifies a branded medicine, that product must be dispensed, whereas for a generic prescription, any manufacturer’s product can be dispensed. For some medicines or some conditions, switching between manufacturers’ products carries additional clinical risks and guidance regarding the appropriateness of brand or generic prescribing for specific medicines or conditions might be issued.

To assist with the management of supply issues with certain medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, clinical experts with input from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Department developed guidance on prescribing methylphenidate generically. This guidance was issued to provide prescribers with information on how to switch between methylphenidate products. This is a guidance document and as such there is no requirement for prescribers to follow it unless they deem it necessary and suitable for their patients.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of planned Integrated Care Board cuts on the delivery of the NHS 10-year plan in South Suffolk. \p Karin Smyth: As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, integrated care boards (ICBs) will become strategic commissioners with responsibility for using multi-year budgets to enhance local population health while achieving efficiencies. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025. This letter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/

ICBs will continue to deliver their statutory responsibilities and will work with NHS England to ensure this is done effectively within the running costs allowance with savings reinvested in frontline services to deliver better care for patients.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 25328 on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn, whether he has received a copy of the report; and, with reference to his Department policy paper entitled New Hospital Programme; plan for implementation, published on 20 January 2025, what his planned timetable is for the publication of the site-by-site report of the RAAC hospitals. \p Karin Smyth: The safety of staff and patients at the seven predominantly reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) hospitals remains our utmost priority.

The completion date for the report has been extended to ensure a detailed understanding of the complex data and issues considered, including the RAAC condition, planned and current mitigations, and the remaining expected life of the hospital sites. By building a better understanding, we can support each scheme to move forward more effectively. We expect the report will be complete this year. A decision has not yet been taken regarding the publication of the report.

In the interim, the seven predominantly RAAC hospitals continue their programme of RAAC mitigation works and the plans for the replacement hospitals continue at pace.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) public accountability during the implementation of the new integrated care board cluster for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. \p Karin Smyth: To deliver the required reduction in running costs in 2025/26, a number of integrated care boards (ICBs) will cluster together to share leadership and functions so resources can be directed to frontline services. ICBs have a crucial role as strategic commissioners of local healthcare services and remain responsible for ensuring the provision of services to meet the needs of the populations they serve, including those from small and coastal towns.

While clustering ICBs will work together through shared leadership and combined teams, they will remain separate legal entities. NHS England shared a ‘Model ICB blueprint’ with ICBs in May 2025 to help them form their plans. This makes clear that ICBs are expected to maintain clear, accountable leadership with effective governance during the transition and beyond.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has conducted detailed (a) costings and (b) delivery timetables for the commitments outlined in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. \p Karin Smyth: The Government has been clear that the previous administration’s 2023 Long Term Workforce Plan was unsustainable and based on outdated models of care. We have committed instead to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will replace the 2023 plan and create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.
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Mims Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he last met with the Patient Safety Commissioner. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: There has been no formal meeting between my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and the Patient Safety Commissioner. However, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Baroness Merron), in her previous role as the minister with responsibility for patient safety and patient voice, met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in January 2025.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the difference in saving between (a) a clustered ICB and (b) an ICB merger, in the context of ICB re-organisation in the East of England. \p Karin Smyth: Integrated care boards (ICBs) should engage with all other organisations within their integrated care partnership, including with local authorities, to ensure they are involved where there are boundary changes.

Clustering ICBs remain separate organisations and so must necessarily continue to duplicate some activities, which is unwieldy. Mergers allow those inefficiencies to be removed and brings stability for leaders, staff, and partners. It is not possible to estimate the difference in savings between clusters and mergers because these may vary in footprints, in starting points, and in transition arrangements.

When NHS England decides on ICB mergers, it must take into account its wider duties, including duties relating to value for money and equalities. These will be considered in decision making, but NHS England is not required to publish impact assessments.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients experiencing mental health problems are provided with comprehensive information on (a) potential side effects, (b) interactions with other medications and (c) the long-term implications of any medication they are advised to take. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Any decision to prescribe a medicine should be made following a conversation between the prescriber and patient. This is known as shared decision making and should involve discussing with the patient the risks, benefits and possible consequences of different options, along with the prescriber’s clinical judgement.

NHS England has recently published decision support tools on depression and bipolar to help individuals to compare possible treatment options, and a leaflet on the safer use of valproate. Unless the information is on the pack, all dispensed medicines must include a patient information leaflet, which provides information on using the medicine safely. Specialist mental health pharmacists are available at the majority of mental health trusts to discuss medication options with patients, and the Medicines A-Z website and NHS App provide information about medicines and mental health.

The Mental Health Bill extends access to advocacy support, currently only available to patients detained under the Mental Health Act, to all patients in mental health inpatient settings. Advocates support patients to understand and exercise their rights. The bill also introduces measures to encourage people to create an Advance Choice Document while they are well. This is a written record of their wishes, including their preferences on medication, so that these can later inform decisions during a mental health crisis. The bill also raises the threshold on when compulsory medication can be administered to a patient, by requiring that there must be a compelling reason to override the patient’s refusal, whether made at the time or in advance. Urgent and compulsory medication and electroconvulsive therapy can also only be given under a more limited set of circumstances. These measures aim to better balance patient autonomy and the ability to administer treatment at a time of mental health crisis.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the availability of continuous positive airway pressure machines for NHS patients diagnosed with sleep apnoea. \p Karin Smyth: No specific assessment has been made by the Department.

The provision of treatments for sleep apnoea is a commissioning matter and these decisions are the responsibility of integrated care boards, taking into account the needs of their local populations and national guidance such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome.

NICE has recommended continuous positive airway pressure machines (TA139) as a treatment option for adults with moderate or severe symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea or hypopnoea syndrome, where certain clinical criteria are met.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce infant mortality rates at Queen’s Hospital in Romford. \p Karin Smyth: Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust has taken a number of steps to improve their maternity services and help reduce infant mortality rates. This includes:

- implementing pre-term screening for pre-eclampsia;

- recruiting 164 more midwives since 2021, with seven more due to join soon, reducing the vacancy rate to 3.64% compared to 16% in January 2023;

- investing in additional clinical posts, including the recruitment of 12 additional obstetrics and gynaecology consultants since 2022, with two more joining soon, and increasing resident doctor numbers;

- introducing bilingual volunteers to support women throughout pregnancy, including attending appointments with them, and during labour;

- offering enhanced ‘continuity of carer’ in areas where health inequalities have been identified;

- increasing triage space and staffing to speed up initial assessment and creating a new discharge lounge to improve flow through the unit;

- increasing obstetric theatre capacity and staffing; and

- launching a new diabetes pre-conception clinic this year for women who are trying to conceive, and a new hybrid closed-loop insulin pump service for type 1 diabetics who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to ensure that there is nursing representation in national negotiations on primary care (a) funding and (b) workforce planning. \p Karin Smyth: We have always valued input from a range of stakeholders on the future of general practice, including on funding and workforce planning, and we would be happy to continue to engage with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on this, as we have done in previous pre-consultation engagement exercises.

The Government is committed to ensuring the general practice nursing workforce is sustainable, supported and valued for the work they do. Good staff experience is crucial in ensuring the National Health Service is able to recruit and retain staff and its importance is recognised and illustrated in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan.

We will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan which will ensure that staff will be better treated and have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so they can achieve more. A formal call for evidence has been launched, which will provide stakeholders the opportunity to contribute directly to the Plan’s development.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of ambulance response times in Eastleigh constituency. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises that in recent years ambulance response times have not met the high standards that patients should expect.

We are determined to turn things around. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, backed by almost £450 million of capital investment, commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year. We are also tackling unacceptable ambulance handover delays by introducing a maximum 45-minute standard, supporting ambulances to be released more quickly and get back on the road to treat patients.

We have already seen improvements in ambulance response times for the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS), which serves Eastleigh. The latest NHS performance figures for SCAS show that Category 2 incidents were responded to in 30 minutes 44 seconds on average, over eight minutes faster than the same period last year.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that NHS trusts move into financial surplus by 2030. \p Karin Smyth: The National Health Service priorities and operational planning guidance 2025/26 made it clear that living within budget, reducing waste and increasing productivity is a priority. This year’s financial framework changes include making deficit support funding conditional on performance, implementing a financial override in the Oversight Framework, and introducing additional support for efficiency and productivity through the new Financial Performance and Improvement Programme. The 10-Year Health Plan also made several longer-term commitments to strengthen the NHS financial foundation, which are now being taken forward, including:

(a) A commitment to deliver 2% annual productivity growth, which will unlock £17 billion in savings over 3 years.

(b) A new approach to NHS financial management including multi-year settlements, and phasing out deficit support funding;

(c) Sharper financial incentives including the use of best practice tariffs, and changing the funding model to encourage urgent and emergency care to shift to the community;

(d) A fairer geographical distribution of funding, to target areas with disproportionate economic and health challenges; and

(e) Reform of the capital regime, giving more power to the frontline and speeding up the capital approvals process.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including British citizens who studied medicine abroad in NHS specialty training prioritisation policies in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: British doctors who obtained their medical degree abroad need to meet the requirements of the General Medical Council, the independent regulator of the medical profession, to practise medicine in the United Kingdom. These doctors are then able to apply for jobs in the National Health Service on the same basis as UK medical graduates.

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, we will work across the Government to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out further details in due course.
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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cancer patients have access to radiotherapy in (a) Gosport, (b) the South East and (c) England. \p Karin Smyth: All cancer patients have access to radiotherapy treatment. Decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals.
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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that every cancer patient who needs it has access to modern and timely radiotherapy cancer treatment. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is taking decisive action to get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster.

We have invested £70 million in replacing outdated radiotherapy machines across the NHS with cutting-edge technology that will speed up treatment for thousands of patients. These new machines are being rolled out across the country.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle health tourism. \p Karin Smyth: In relation to United Kingdom nationals travelling abroad for treatment, the Department has recently updated guidance that advises anyone considering a procedure abroad to carefully research the treatment in question, the qualifications of their clinician, and the regulations that apply in any specific country.

We also recently launched a communications campaign, in collaboration with TikTok, to encourage people to review the Government’s travel advice alongside relevant guidance from the National Health Service and other relevant professional bodies. By taking such steps before treatment, patients make are able to make more informed decisions about treatments abroad, to help protect themselves and the NHS from any potential negative consequences of medical tourism.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve ambulance response times for (a) strokes and (b) other category 2 calls. \p Karin Smyth: Strokes can be potentially life-threatening and require a Category 2 response to ensure patients have access to timely care. The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidence-based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service models set out that high quality stroke care should include fast emergency response and better-informed ambulance service 999 calls, to reduce mortality and disability.

The Government is determined to improve response times. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery Plan for 2025/26 commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year. We are also tackling unacceptable ambulance handover delays by introducing a maximum 45-minute standard, ensuring ambulances are released more quickly and get back on the road to treat patients.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure there will be sufficient (a) GPs, (b) hospitals and (c) other healthcare facilities for the potential new town in Adlington, Cheshire East. \p Karin Smyth: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning health care services within their regions. This includes ensuring service providers are able to meet the reasonable needs of their patient population. Where necessary, ICBs can commission local enhanced services which can vary in scope and funding, to fit the needs of the patient population.

We recognise the challenges facing areas of significant housing and population growth and the pressure that this can place upon local health infrastructure, including primary care.

Local planning authorities are responsible for negotiating and agreeing developer contributions to support necessary associated infrastructure when new housing developments are built, including GP practices and primary care provision.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to determine how developer contributions from new housing developments can be better used towards local health services and infrastructure.
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Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help encourage the take-up of disability nursing courses. \p Karin Smyth: We are working closely with key partners, including higher education providers and employers, to promote learning disability nursing roles and attract people into the profession through various routes including apprenticeships.

We want to remove the barriers to training in clinical roles, which is why in addition to the support available from the Student Loans Company, eligible students studying for a nursing degree receive supplementary non-repayable funding via the Learning Support Fund. This comprises a training grant of £5,000 per academic year and a £1,000 per academic year grant for priority subjects such as learning disability nursing, with further support depending on individual circumstances.

We will publish a refreshed 10-year workforce plan later this year to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has decided on the future availability of the Complex Cancer Late Effects Rehabilitation Service provided by Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. \p Karin Smyth: The responsibility for the delivery, implementation and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioning body. NHS England commissions the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust’s Complex Cancer Late Effects Rehabilitation Service. NHS England has no immediate plans to decommission the rehabilitation service.
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Tom Gordon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to improve procedures for processing gestational diabetes blood glucose tests to improve the accuracy of diagnosis. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is responsible for setting clinical guidelines. For diabetes in pregnancy, including testing for gestational diabetes, the relevant clinical guideline is NG3 - Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng3/chapter/Recommendations#gestational-diabetes

The Department provides funding to the National Institute for Health and Care Research for research to help improve procedures around gestational diabetes, such as the DOMINO study, with further information available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR134628
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled 14 NHS trusts the focus of national maternity investigation, published on 15 September, what his planned timeline is for completion of each local trust investigation; what the interim milestones will be; and if he will provide regular updates to Parliament on progress. \p Karin Smyth: The independent investigation is chaired by Baroness Valerie Amos and supported by a small team of expert advisors.

Local investigations will be carried out by trained investigators who will spend several days on site at each trust, supported by a small team. Our current expectation is that visits will take place between October and December 2025, though these timings are indicative only, and are subject to final confirmation, particularly in light of the pressures faced by trusts during the winter months.

The investigation will produce an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025, with a final report and recommendations to be published in spring 2026. This is due to the ambition, size, and scope of the investigation.

The 14 National Health Service trusts were selected by the independent investigation based on a variety of factors, including results from the Care Quality Commission’s Maternity Patient Survey and Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK’s Perinatal Mortality Rates, in addition to variation in case mix, trust type, geographic coverage, provision of care to individuals from diverse backgrounds, and family feedback.

Three of the trusts have been included due to their inclusion in previous investigations or reviews, with these three trusts being the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, and the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

By taking this approach, the investigation can capture learning from a wide range of provision and experiences, ensuring the findings are relevant across the system.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what structures are in place within the NHS to (a) oversee and (b) manage financial efficiency in healthcare settings; and whether his Department has considered establishing a dedicated executive function to support this work. \p Karin Smyth: Financial efficiency within the National Health Service is managed primarily by integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS trusts, which are responsible for local financial planning, budget control, and delivery of efficiency savings. Progress is monitored and supported by both NHS England regional and national teams including as part of the new Financial Performance and Improvement Programme. For example, as part of 2025/2026 planning, NHS England provided every provider and system with a tailored and benchmarked productivity and efficiency data pack setting out opportunities to support the development of efficiency and savings schemes.

NHS England have also established an executive chaired group to oversee the development of a coherent, organisation-wide strategy and associated policies for delivering programmes to improve productivity and efficiency across the NHS.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much capital funding her Department has allocated for the rollout of neighbourhood health centres (a) in England and (b) for each eligible integrated care board. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, and we recognise that delivering high quality NHS healthcare requires the right infrastructure in the right places.

That is why over the course of our 10-Year Health Plan, we aim to establish a neighbourhood health centre in every community, transforming healthcare access by bringing historically hospital-based services into communities and addressing wider determinants of health through services like debt advice, employment support, and obesity management programmes.

Nationwide coverage will take time, and we will start by using public capital to update and refurbish existing, under-used buildings, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.

Capital funding for neighbourhood health centres will become available from 2026/27, with detailed planning guidance for local systems to be communicated before the end of the year.

As outlined in the Government’s 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, a decision on whether to proceed with the use of Public Private Partnerships for neighbourhood health centres will be made by HM Treasury and relevant ministers by the 2025 Autumn Budget.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to update the NHS Car Parking Guidance 2022 for NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts. \p Karin Smyth: The Department currently has no plans to review National Health Service car parking guidance. Free hospital car parking is available to the groups that are most in-need, including disabled people, frequent outpatient attenders, the parents of sick children staying overnight, and staff working night shifts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_354

Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for neurology health services. \p Karin Smyth: Cutting waiting lists is a key priority for the Government. We have exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having delivered 5.2 million more appointments across elective care services. This marks a vital first step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, in line with the NHS constitutional standard, by March 2029.

Between August 2024 and 2025, we reduced the number of incomplete neurology pathways by almost 10,000, or 4.3%, from 236,621 to 226,432, and reduced the average waiting time for neurology services from 16.7 to 15.4 weeks. 56.1% of patients referred were seen within 18 weeks, up from 53.1% at the same point last year. This is still lower than the national average and we are continuing efforts to improve this, recognising this is a challenged specialty.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, commits to reform outpatient services, including by supporting general practitioners and hospital doctors to work better together to ensure referrals are used when a patient really needs hospital care, through increased uptake of Advice and Guidance. There are a number of initiatives at the national level supporting service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions, including the UK-wide Neuro Forum, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time programme for neurology.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_355

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that patients in emergency departments of hospitals are treated in appropriate spaces. \p Karin Smyth: This Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so patients can be treated with dignity.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps that we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding.

We will also publish new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care which will support better hospital flow, aimed at reducing overcrowding and long waits.

We have been taking key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on accident and emergency departments, increasing vaccination rates and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care board and trust winter plans to confirm they are able to meet demand and support patient flow.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_356

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS dentist posts are unfilled in the (a) Borough of Stockton-on-Tees and (b) North East. \p Stephen Kinnock: The latest available National Health Service workforce statistics reflect the situation as of December 2024. According to this data, there were 623 Full Time Equivalent NHS dentists within the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board area. The NHS vacancy rate was 19%.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_357

Amanda Hack:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will (a) collect and (b) publish data on the (i) prevalence, (ii) diagnosis and (iii) treatment of PCOS in England. \p Karin Smyth: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that can be diagnosed in multiple different ways, including without a diagnosis code and in primary care settings, and therefore it is very difficult to identify the number of specific diagnostic tests carried out overall.

However, the diagnosis code for PCOS is recorded in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) dataset. The number of patients treated in secondary care where the primary diagnosis is PCOS is as follows:

The most recent publications for outpatient and admitted activity in 2023/24, namely the Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity Diagnosis 2023 to 2024 table and the Outpatient Primary Diagnosis by Attendance Type 2023 to 2024 table, have been placed in the Library due to the size of the data.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_358

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate she has made of the of the average customer response times at HM Revenue & Customs. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC regularly publishes its performance on GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates

Improving day-to-day performance is a key priority for HMRC.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_359

Zöe Franklin:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of business rates on the level of investment by companies in (a) energy-efficient buildings and (b) renewable technologies. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government is determined to remove barriers to investment to support our businesses to succeed, our high streets to thrive, and our economy to grow.

Business rates support is available for green technology to facilitate the decarbonisation of buildings. Eligible plant and machinery used in onsite renewable energy generation and storage, including onsite storage used at electric vehicle charging points, as well as rooftop solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage, are exempt from business rates from 1 April 2022 until 31 March 2035. A 100 per cent relief for eligible low-carbon heat networks which have their own rates bill is also available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_360

Jonathan Davies:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction in business rate relief on grassroots music venues with a rateable value of over £500,000. \p Dan Tomlinson: As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RVs) below £500,000, including grassroots music venues, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure they benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

The Government is sustainably funding this by introducing a higher multiplier on properties with RVs of £500,000 and above. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

The Government has met with a wide range of stakeholders on business rates reform. The Transforming Business Rates: Interim Report, published on 11 September, brings together extensive feedback from a broad range of stakeholders and outlines the Government’s next steps to deliver a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_361

Mr Louie French:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to reduce the tax burden on the hospitality, tourism and leisure sector. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality, tourism and leisure sector, which is largely made up of small businesses.

At the Autumn Budget, a range of measures were announced to reduce the tax burden on these sectors. The Employment Allowance has been more than doubled to £10,500, ensuring that over half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities will either gain or see no change this year.

The Small Profits Rate of Corporation Tax and marginal relief have been maintained at current rates and thresholds. The £1 million Annual Investment Allowance has been retained to support investment.

Duty on qualifying draught products has been reduced, supporting pubs and smaller brewers.

The Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026-27. Until these new multipliers come into force, business rates RHL relief has been extended for one year at 40% up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.

The Government keeps all areas of the tax system under review and changes to the tax system are made at fiscal events, in line with usual practice.