theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to ensure that England has a palliative care workforce able to cope with increases in demand for end of life care. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to 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, including in palliative care and end of life care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will guarantee lifelong NHS dental care for people born with a cleft. \p Stephen Kinnock: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Eastleigh on 21 November 2025 to Question 89684, and to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Yeovil on 21 November 2025 to Question 90538.
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Andy McDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of GP appointments (a) offered, (b) attended and (c) cancelled by practices in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency in the most recent year for which data is available; and if will make it his policy to monitor trends in practice-cancelled appointments. \p Stephen Kinnock: General Practice Appointment Data is published monthly by NHS England and captures information on appointments that have occurred, rather than those that are offered. The data also only includes appointments that were attended or marked as 'Did Not Attend' (DNA), not those that are cancelled.

Since cancelled slots can often be rebooked and used by other patients, the most reliable and meaningful data to collect are both attended appointments and DNAs.

In September 2025, in the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East Constituency, 1.04 million appointments were delivered, and 54,000 appointments were not attended.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to question 81028, tabled on 10 October 2025. \p Stephen Kinnock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 December 2025 to Question 81028.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will ensure cleft training is embedded in undergraduate dental education and ongoing professional development. \p Stephen Kinnock: I refer the Hon. Member to the response I gave to the Hon. Member for Yeovil on 20 November 2025 to Question 90537.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that diagnostic imaging in the NHS is reported within 4 weeks. \p Karin Smyth: Ensuring patients receive their diagnostic test results quickly is a priority for the Government. NHS England’s guidance, published in August 2023, sets out that imaging reports must be provided within four weeks, or 28 days, of image acquisition. All National Health Service providers and imaging networks are expected to meet this standard. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/diagnostic-imaging-reporting-turnaround-times/

Achieving this relies on good digital connectivity, IT infrastructure, home working solutions, and approved insourcing models established across imaging departments and networks. That is why the Government is investing in digital diagnostic transformation through NHS England’s Diagnostics Digital Capability Programme, which ensures that networks have a core set of digital capabilities to improve the quality, safety, and productivity of care.

The 2025 Spending Review settlement commits to a major transformation of care delivery, moving from analogue to digital systems, hospital to community-based care, and from treatment to prevention. To support this, the NHS productivity plan is backed by a nearly 50% increase to NHS technology and digital transformation spend in 2025/26, totalling up to £10 billion by 2028/29.

NHS England has also formed 22 imaging networks across the country to improve the quality, safety, and productivity of care, and to accelerate test reporting through digital investment.

The Elective Reform Plan, published on 6 January 2025, sets out a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week referral to treatment target by the end of this Parliament including transforming and expanding diagnostic services to reduce waits for test results.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87431 on Congenital Abnormalities, what consanguinity data NHS England collects through the Maternity Services Data Set; what assessment he has made of the completeness and reliability of those data; and whether he has reviewed that information in his Department. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Consanguinity can be recorded in the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS) at any point in the maternity care pathway, by maternity services providers, including a relevant clinical code in the submitted MSDS record for an individual receiving maternity care. NHS England has published guidance for maternity services providers on preferred clinical codes to submit, and in which data tables. Only a small number of National Health Service trusts have recently submitted any of the consanguinity clinical codes to MSDS. An evaluation of the Genetic Risk Equity Project will include an analysis of the quality of the consanguinity data on MSDS.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87431 on Congenital Abnormalities, whether he has plans to (a) publish aggregated consanguinity statistics collected through the Maternity Services Data Set, (b) improve the completeness and reliability of those data and (c) integrate consanguinity indicators into wider national population health or genomics datasets; and whether he has reviewed options for doing so in his Department. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: NHS England has no current plans to publish aggregated consanguinity statistics collected through the Maternity Services Data Set. Through the Genetic Risk Equity project, the National Health Service is seeking to improve the quality of consanguinity data in nine pilot sites. There are no plans to integrate consanguinity indicators into wider national population health or genomics datasets.
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Dr Ben Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures his Department is taking to mitigate any potential increase in waiting times for neurodiverse assessments in Runnymede and Weybridge as a result of the recent ICB decision to pause assessments through the Right to Choose with the provider Psicon. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and recognises the need for early intervention and support.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to autism and ADHD assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October, was explicit that ICBs and providers are expected to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for autism and ADHD assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing existing and new guidance, as published.

In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the NHS to deliver improved outcomes for people referred to an autism assessment service. NHS England has continued to support services to identify challenges and how they might overcome these.  NHS England also established an ADHD taskforce to better understand the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing timely and equitable access to services and support. We are pleased that the final report was published on 6 November, and we are carefully considering its recommendations.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of ADHD medication. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department has made substantial progress in improving the availability of medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), working closely with industry and key stakeholders to resolve previous supply challenges. Through intensive work with industry, NHS England and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have resolved most of the previous shortages. All strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine, both the capsules and the oral solution, guanfacine prolonged-release tablets, and methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets are now available.

There is a current supply issue with methylphenidate 30 milligram prolonged-release capsules, brand name Equasym XL, which is out of stock until late December. The Department has issued guidance to healthcare professionals with advice on how to manage patients until this shortage resolves.

We continue to work closely with suppliers to resolve the few remaining challenges and to strengthen resilience in the supply chain. This includes securing additional stocks, expediting deliveries, and expanding the United Kingdom supplier base to support future demand. In collaboration with NHS England’s ADHD taskforce and national data improvement plan, we are developing growth forecasts to improve demand planning and ensure a sustainable supply of ADHD medicines.

To support prescribers and dispensers, the Department maintains and regularly updates a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website, at the following link:

www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/prescribing-available-medicines-to-treat-adhd
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2025 provided to question 76507, (i) how many NICE Technology Appraisal approved therapies are not being provided in contravention of obligations by a) Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust b) Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and c) Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and (ii) what the names of these therapies are. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The information requested is not held centrally.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2025 to question 81592 on Medical Treatments: Gaza, what the estimated total cost of the programme will be to the public purse. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 November 2025 to Question 81587.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the latest report on Corridor Care from the APPG on Emergency Care, what plans his department has to tackle delayed discharges. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Government recognises that delayed discharges contribute to shortages of hospital beds and is committed to reducing delayed discharges to free up beds for those who need them.

The 2025/26 Urgent and Emergency Care plan prioritises reducing hospital discharge delays. Hospitals must eliminate in-hospital delays of over 48 hours and work with local authorities to address the longest delays, starting with those exceeding 21 days.

For 2025/26, approximately £9 billion is being provided through the Better Care Fund (BCF), which requires the National Health Service and local authorities to set joint goals for improving discharge performance and preventing unnecessary admissions. From 2026/27, the BCF will be reformed to provide consistent joint funding for key services such as discharge, rehabilitation, and reablement.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS England staff will be employed by successor organisations and other government bodies. \p Karin Smyth: Subject to the passage of the NHS Reform Bill, NHS England will be abolished and most of its functions brought together in a new centre. Our ambition is to reduce staff numbers by up to 50% across the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and integrated care boards, which will be largely accomplished through voluntary exits. These reductions will be made by March 2028. The NHS voluntary exit scheme includes clawback arrangements that would compel employees who leave under voluntary redundancy to repay all/some of their voluntary redundancy payment if they are re-employed in the National Health Service, other Government departments or arm's length bodies within six to 12 months of their exit, depending on seniority, size of package and length of time between exit and re-employment.

In general, DHSC is the successor body to NHS England, which means most of NHS England’s functions and staff will be transferred to DHSC. However, some functions could also be transferred elsewhere in the system where there is a strong rationale for doing so. Voluntary exit schemes have been launched to enable us to reduce headcount and meet our targets for a leaner and more efficient center.

We are assessing the full range of current functions across both organisations together with initial appraisal of options for future allocation of functions. At this stage, it is too early to determine what the precise changes in personnel and organisational design will be, but this work is taking place at pace between the two organisations.

As we progress with returning functions to DHSC, due process will of course be followed, including a comprehensive assessment of any impacts and risks associated with the reforms. We will ensure our decisions are guided by evidence, and above all, focused on improving patient care.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department are taking to improve the reliability of ME/CFS diagnosis tests. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: We have outlined our approach to supporting myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), research in the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan published in July. These steps include a research showcase event, a new funding opportunity for a development award focussed on evaluating repurposed pharmaceutical interventions, and the announcement of new funded studies in health and care services, and research infrastructure and capacity-building.

We are determined to accelerate progress in the treatment and management of ME/CFS and will continue working with the ME/CFS community to identify and address barriers to research, with the ambition of supporting more research and capacity-building programmes.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Medical Research Council have provided over £3.2 million towards the DecodeME study which aims to understand if there is a genetic component to the condition. While there is currently no diagnostic test for ME/CFS, we hope that DecodeME will help support the development of diagnostic tests and targeted treatments. Preliminary findings from DecodeME indicate genetic differences in eight areas linked to the immune and nervous systems in people with ME/CFS. This discovery of specific genetic signals may help us understand the biological pathways involved in ME/CFS in the future. Further research is needed for the development of diagnostic tests and targeted treatments.

The Department funds research through the NIHR. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including ME/CFS and the development of diagnostic tests. Research funding is available, and applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his department will put in place constitutional standards for hospital discharges. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: There are no immediate plans to introduce additional constitutional standards at this time, including for the timeliness of discharge from hospital.

However, the Urgent and Emergency Care plan for 2025/26 set as a priority that hospitals should tackle the delays in patients waiting to be discharged. They should profile discharges by pathway to support local planning, eliminate discharge delays of more than 48 hours caused by in-hospital issues, and work with local authorities to tackle the longest delays, starting with those over 21 days.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 87859 on Hereditary Diseases, if his Department will publish any estimates or research they have of the annual cost to the public purse for the NHS of treating (a) congenital and (b) genetic disorders arising from consanguineous unions. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: No, the Department is not planning to publish any estimates or research on the annual cost to the public purse for the National Health Service of treating congenital and genetic disorders arising from consanguineous unions. The Department does not hold this information and has no plans to collect this information.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing levels of research into the (a) causes of and (b) treatment pathways for endometriosis. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the research delivery arm of the Department, funds and supports a range of research to support women’s health conditions, including endometriosis. These awards seek to improve outcomes for women with endometriosis by better understanding the condition, enabling earlier diagnosis, and evaluating current and emerging treatment options.   Ongoing NIHR funded research includes a £2.1 million trial to look at the effectiveness of keyhole surgery to treat endometriosis, with a new £2.4 million NIHR funded research programme on pain management for endometriosis due to start in March 2026. Further information on both of these studies is available, respectively, at the following two links:   https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR129801  https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR169738  The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into endometriosis. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS providers are making use of the NHS barcode. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: NHS England figures show that 81 trusts in England use National Health Service number barcodes on patient identification wrist bands. This total includes a mix of trusts compliant with the former ISB 1077 and the current DCB1077 standard, a standard which supports the accurate, timely, and safer identification of NHS patients in England, by using barcodes for positive patient identification. 37 trusts, of the 81 trusts, are compliant with the current DCB1077 standard.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve post-discharge support for mental health patients. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The first statutory guidance on discharge from mental health hospitals, published in 2024 under the NHS Act 2006, emphasised the importance of communication and collaboration between responsible agencies to ensure the patient’s safe and timely discharge and continued care and support after hospital.

This is underpinned by the Community Mental Health Framework, which sets out a vision for new models of integrated primary and community mental health services to address longstanding challenges in mental health services, including maximising continuity of care. Neighbourhood mental health centres build on this model, bringing together a range of community mental health services under one roof, including crisis services and short-stay beds, ensuring people’s holistic needs can be met. To ensure that people are provided with the right support to live successfully and safely in the community after discharge, section 117 of the Mental Health Act places a duty on the National Health Service and local social services authorities to provide after-care to eligible patients who have been detained in hospital for treatment, under certain sections of the act.

We know there are sometimes disagreements between local authorities over who should be paying for a persons’ after-care and what services should be provided. The Mental Health Bill seeks to address these issues and bring clarity, mitigating delays to the provision of aftercare services.

There is also the NHS Continuing Healthcare, which is a package of NHS-funded ongoing care for adults with the highest levels of complex, intense, or unpredictable needs, who have been assessed as having a primary health need, to meet needs that have arisen as a result of disability, accident, or illness.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce short-term readmissions following mental health inpatient discharge. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: In 2023, NHS England published guidance on the commissioning and delivery of acute inpatient mental health care for adults and older adults, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/acute-inpatient-mental-health-care-for-adults-and-older-adults/

This encourages integrated care boards and mental health providers to monitor the length of hospital stay, the number of people who are clinically ready for discharge and who have not been discharged, reasons for delayed discharges, and reasons for readmission within six months, in order to monitor the effectiveness of local discharge arrangements and to identify improvements.

NHS England is also delivering a universal culture of care improvement programme, which all National Health Service and major independent providers are participating in. The programme is based on co-produced standards for high quality inpatient care, which include commitments to improve discharge and follow up support.

Improving access to high quality community mental health care is critical to reducing the number of avoidable admissions to hospital and supporting people in community settings following a hospital spell. Since 2019, NHS England has invested significant additional funding to support services to transform and expand services in line with the vision set out in the Community Mental Health Framework. The new approach integrates community mental health services with primary care, whilst also improving partnerships with voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations, local authorities, and other local organisations to offer people holistic and personalised care for both their clinical and social needs, with both a ‘need-led’ and ‘no wrong door’ approach.

NHS England continues to prioritise improving services for people with mental health problems, including through the development of new guidance on delivering personalised care and support, for instance the Personalised Care Framework: a Modern Care Programme Approach, the piloting and rollout of 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres across the country, and the development of a new modern service framework for severe mental illness expected in 2026.
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Sir Mark Hendrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans are in place to ensure that the medical records of deaf and hearing-impaired patients are appropriately marked prior to the introduction of the Single Patient Record in 2028. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Reasonable Adjustment flag is part of the NHS Spine, and professionals and their administrative staff can work with an individual to create the flag using the National Care Records Service, to ensure that an individual’s needs for reasonable adjustments are recorded and shared, to ensure appropriate support by health and care services. Work is continuing to allow direct integration of the flag with clinical systems, using the Patient Flags Application Programming Interface.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) programme is at an early stage of development. Inclusivity and ease of access is central to the vision for the design of the SPR, and the record of people’s reasonable adjustments, and their needs, will be part of the information made available to staff.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve NHS medication procurement processes. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Medicines Procurement and Supply Chain (MPSC) is part of the NHS Medicines Value and Access Directorate and establishes the commercial arrangements to enable the purchasing of medicines prescribed in National Health Service hospitals in England. The MPSC manages a number of Medicines Framework agreements that define how to ensure continuity of supply for:

The MPSC constantly review the commercial pipeline to ensure procurement strategies are fit for purpose, promote resilience in the supply chain and achieve value for money for the NHS.

Since the introduction of the new Procurement Act in February 2025, each procurement strategy has been reviewed to understand what process, including the new processes now available under the new act, would be most effective to use. The MPSC is currently working to implement value-based procurement into the broad portfolio categories to move the focus to achieving value, rather than just lowest price, whilst ensuring continuity of supply.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will instruct health providers to update outdated or unclear information on hormone replacement therapy treatments for menopause. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Setting guidance for the treatment of individual conditions falls to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), who produce guidance for the National Health Service and wider health and care system. NICE guidelines are evidence-based recommendations for health and care in England and Wales. They help health and social care professionals to prevent ill health, promote good health, and improve the quality of care and services.

NICE clinical guidelines are intended for health and social care professionals, commissioners, patients, and carers to help them make informed decisions on the appropriate treatment and care.

When put into practice, NICE guidelines have the potential to effectively target health and care resources to significantly improve patient outcomes, in line with the best available evidence of clinical and cost-effectiveness. Although healthcare professionals and commissioners are not legally obliged to follow NICE guidelines, they are expected to take them into full account when making decisions on treatment and care for patients. The most recent guidance, last updated November 2024, is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23

Generally, providers rely on a range of professional organisations to keep their practice up to date, and they need to work within a scope of practice which includes being up to date and which is assessed through appraisal. In addition to NICE, they would look to the British Menopause Society, the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, the Royal College of General Practitioners, or the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Further information on the British Menopause Society is available at the following link:

https://thebms.org.uk/
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the long-term affordability of prescription medication for people with chronic illnesses. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with chronic illnesses may be eligible.

Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have another qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

Depending on their condition, patients with chronic conditions may be able to apply for a medical exemption certificate which entitles the holder to free National Health Service prescriptions.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme, which provides help based on a comparison between a person’s income and their requirements. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three-month and 12-month certificates available. 12-month PPCs can be paid for in ten monthly instalments, allowing the holder to get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week.

To further support patients with the costs of prescriptions, this year the prescription charge was frozen at 2024/25 rates.
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Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is being done to improve the regulatory approval process for personalised medicines to treat cancer. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has completed a public consultation on its draft guideline on individualised mRNA cancer immunotherapies, a new type of personalised cancer treatment. These technologies use cutting-edge science such as artificial intelligence to design a medicine tailored to each patient’s unique tumour profile.

We received positive responses from across the life sciences community, the National Health Service, patient groups, academics, and international regulators. Feedback recognised the United Kingdom’s leadership in this area, while calling for greater clarity in some aspects of the guideline.

In response, we will refine the guideline to ensure regulatory expectations are clearly articulated, without hampering innovation. This will facilitate faster access to these promising new therapies, while upholding our standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. The final version of the guideline will be published in the coming months, with future updates anticipated as the regulatory experience evolves in this rapidly developing field.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS Trusts offer robotic assisted surgery. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Neither the Department nor NHS England hold trust-level data on the offer of robotic assisted surgery. Decisions to offer robotic assisted surgery are agreed at an integrated care board and trust level, in line with local population need.

Our 10-Year Health Plan commits to expand surgical robot adoption over the next decade, in line with The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. We will establish national registries for robotic surgery data from 2029 and develop telesurgery networks. The National Health Service aims to increase the number of robotic-assisted procedures to 500,000 by 2035, up from 70,000 in 2023/24.

Earlier this year, NHS England published the first national guidance for the implementation of robotic assisted surgery (RAS) in the NHS, offering guidance on procurement, commissioning, implementation, training, and evaluation. A national steering committee is already in place to support the adoption of RAS, ensure safe implementation, and to oversee the training requirements for surgeons and surgical teams.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS Federated Data Platform has completed roll out to all NHS trusts and integrated care systems. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The progress of the NHS Federated Data Platform’s uptake and deployment has exceeded programme expectations, surpassing the projected uptake. The programme planned to deliver to all National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs) by 2027, based on a phased implementation over four and a half years. As of 27 November, the programme has signed up 41 of the 42 ICBs and a total of 165 trusts through a formal Memorandum of Understanding, with 122 trusts live or in delivery. Of those trusts signed up to the platform, there are 127 acute trusts, nine community trusts, 26 mental health trusts, and three ambulance trusts. It is anticipated that by the end of its third year the programme will have deployed tenancies to all 246 organisations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_79

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve workplace catering and break facilities for healthcare workers. \p Karin Smyth: Good physical working environments are important for staff wellbeing and retention. Staff need to be given the time and space to rest and recover from their work, particularly when working on-call or overnight. This is recognised as a priority in the NHS People Promise which sets out the importance of employers prioritising spaces for staff to rest and recuperate, and ensuring access to hot food and drinks.

In May 2024, NHS England and NHS Charities Together launched a £10 million Workforce Wellbeing Programme to support National Health Service staff in England. It will provide tailored health and wellbeing support to NHS staff, including grants to improve facilities. A three-year programme of work named Great Food, Good Health, led by NHS England, aims to improve the experience and quality of nutritious food that patients, staff, and visitors receive in hospital. As part of this, the NHS made clear that NHS organisations must be able to demonstrate they have suitable 24/7 food service provision.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_80

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data he holds on NHS spending on external consultants for (a) compliance and (b) the recovery of Value Added Tax. \p Karin Smyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care does not hold detailed data which can identify consultancy spending for compliance and the recovery of Value Added Tax.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_81

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to ME/CFS support in Ashfield. \p Ashley Dalton: Residents of Ashfield with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), are supported primarily through the Community Pain Management Service (CPMS), commissioned by the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board for the mid Nottinghamshire area, which covers Mansfield and Ashfield and Newark and Sherwood.

The CPMS delivers a multi-disciplinary, community-based service for adults, those aged 16 years old and over, with chronic pain and/or ME/CFS. The service is designed to be accessible, equitable, and holistic, supporting both physical and psychological needs.

Ashfield residents can access the service at several local clinics, including Ashfield Health and Wellbeing Centre in Sutton-in-Ashfield, as well as other sites across mid Nottinghamshire, including Mansfield Community Hospital and Oak Tree Health Centre.

Referrals are accepted from general practitioners, musculoskeletal services, and hospital consultants. The service acts as a single point of access, ensuring streamlined and timely triage and assessment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_82

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many consultations his Department has launched since 4 July 2024; and if he will list them. \p Karin Smyth: Following the election, the Government outlined its ambitions through the Plan for Change, which sets out an ambitious set of milestones, across the missions, for this Parliament.

As the House of Commons would expect, the Government continually reviews its work to ensure that it is delivering the best outcomes for the people of the United Kingdom, and that its policies continue to represent the best value for the taxpayer. Public consultations will be available on the GOV.UK website as they are published, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/search/policy-papers-and-consultations?parent=department-of-health-and-social-care&organisations%5B%5D=department-of-health-and-social-care&organisations%5B%5D=office-for-health-improvement-and-disparities&order=updated-newest
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_83

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the National Maternity Taskforce includes balanced representation between (a) professional bodies and (b) families with lived experience of maternity services. \p Karin Smyth: The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will be made of up a breadth of expertise. This will include people who bring clinical and international perspectives, those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health, workforce representatives, and families with lived experience.

We are currently engaging with families, including service user representatives, as well as other individuals and organisations in the maternity and neonatal sector, on the make-up of the taskforce and its terms of reference, and we will carefully consider their feedback.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to ensuring the voices of women and families are at the heart of improving maternity and neonatal care.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_84

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications were made to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme in each of the last three years; and how many and what proportion of those applications were unsuccessful. \p Ashley Dalton: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) regularly publishes data on the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme to improve transparency. Information related to COVID-19 vaccine claim volumes and outcomes up to June 2025 is available at the following link:

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/vdps-covid-19

Claims that have not been assessed may have been rejected before a medical assessment took place as they did not meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme. Other claims are still live, but the NHS BSA may be awaiting medical records. Medical assessments cannot take place until sufficient medical records have been received to allow for a robust assessment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_85

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (i) medical, (ii) dental and (iii) midwifery students it will fund to start studies in 2026. \p Karin Smyth: In England, the Office for Students (OfS) sets the maximum fundable limit for medical school and dental school places on an annual basis. OfS will publish its intake target for the 2026/27 academic year in due course.

For the 2025/26 academic year, the OfS has published its intake target at 8,126 for medical school places and 809 for dental school places

Undergraduate training places for midwives are not centrally commissioned by the Government. Instead, they are determined by local employers and education providers who decide the number of learners they admit based on learner demand and provider capacity funding.

For the 2025/26 academic year, the number of acceptances for midwifery was 3,390. This data is from 2025 and was taken 28 days after A-level result day. It is not final data. Further information is available on the UCAS website, at the following link:

https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/statistical-releases-daily-clearing-analysis-2025

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which 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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_86

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress it is making on the implementation of the New Hospital Programme. \p Karin Smyth: In January 2025, we published the Plan for Implementation, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementation

This plan put the programme on a credible and sustainable footing, ensuring taxpayers get maximum value for money. We are committed to delivering all schemes and are moving at pace with the funding in place for design work, construction, and business case development.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_87

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to improve training on racial bias. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not currently provide specific training centrally for racial bias. All staff are required to complete the Civil Service Expectations mandatory learning which covers broader aspects of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Aspects of bias also feature in recruitment training which is carried out prior to sifting and interviewing. All panel members for Civil Service recruitment must complete the Success Profiles: sifting and interviewing course and Civil Service Expectations course.