theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) access to prostate cancer screening and (b) waiting times for prostate cancer treatment. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government understands that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for all patients with prostate cancer.

Currently, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not recommend a national prostate cancer screening programme due to the limitations of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen test, which may lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of cancers that would not have caused harm during a man’s lifetime. However, the UK NSC is undertaking a comprehensive evidence review to assess six potential approaches to targeted screening for those at higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Recommendations will be published upon the conclusion of this review.

In addition, the Government has invested £16 million in the £42 million United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, led by Prostate Cancer UK, which aims to identify new ways of detecting prostate cancer at an earlier stage, including in men without symptoms.

Improving access to timely treatment and care remains a key priority for all cancer types, including prostate cancer. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will set out further measures to improve cancer outcomes, including efforts to reduce waiting times and improve cancer treatment for all patients, including for prostate cancer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Alison Griffiths:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce lung disease mortality rate. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country.

More tests and scans delivered in the community will allow earlier diagnosis, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help prevent deterioration and improve survival rates. Taking action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers, such as enabling a smoke free generation, can further help prevent lung conditions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Bobby Dean:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many eye care professionals are delivering NHS Special School Eye Care Service under Primary Ophthalmic Service contracts as of March 2025; and how many special schools are in receipt of that service as of March 2025. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England published a range of documents to support the commissioning of sight testing in special educational settings on 25 March 2025, and integrated care boards will now be in the process of planning to procure local services. The scale of the roll out will be dependent on educational establishments choosing to host a service.

There are currently 22 proof-of-concept contractors continuing to deliver the sight testing and dispensing service in 83 day and residential special schools. Data on the number of practitioners delivering the National Health Service special schools eye care service within those contracts is not held centrally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the provision of NHS ear wax removal services in West Dorset constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local populations. This includes the arrangement of services for ear wax removal. When ICBs exercise their functions, including commissioning healthcare services such as ear wax removal, they have a duty to reduce inequalities between persons with respect to their ability to access health services, and to reduce inequalities between patients with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.

Guidance for general practitioners (GPs) on ear wax removal is provided by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Manual ear syringing is no longer advised by the NICE due to the risks associated with it, such as trauma to their ear drum or infection, so GPs will often recommend home treatment remedies to alleviate ear wax build-up.

However, in line with the NICE’s guidance, a person may require ear wax removal treatment if the build-up of earwax is linked with hearing loss. A GP could then consider referring the patient into audiology services, which ICBs are responsible for commissioning.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the role of hospices in providing care in communities. \p Stephen Kinnock: We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.

The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services, including hospices, will have a big role to play in that shift.

Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) service delivery and (b) patient care standards in dental practices are maintained following the dissolution of NHS England. \p Stephen Kinnock: Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead the formation of a new joint centre. As we work to bring the two organisations together, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care, including dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards across England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the eligibility criteria for NHS-funded eye tests on people living with diabetes. \p Stephen Kinnock: Everyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes is eligible for a free National Health Service eye test, as there is a higher prevalence of some eye conditions amongst people with diabetes. In addition, due to the risk of diabetic retinopathy, all people with diabetes, aged 12 years old and over, are offered Diabetic Eye Screening free of charge. It is offered every one or two years, depending on the level of risk. Those with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy are offered more frequent surveillance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to (a) simplify the exemption process for dental charges for people on Universal Credit and (b) introduce a real-time exemption checker for use in dental practices similar to those used in pharmacies. \p Stephen Kinnock: Free National Health Service dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria:

- under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;

- pregnant, or have had a baby in the previous 12 months;

- being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges; or

- receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits.

Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for an exemption or for full remission of dental patient charges. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/

It is the patient’s responsibility to check their eligibility for exemptions from dental patient charges and to help with health costs. The Department has provided information to dental practices on signposting patients to the NHS Business Services Authority’s resources on dental patient charges. This includes the ‘Check before you Tick’ website which provides an immediate way to check eligibility for free dental treatment. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/dont-get-caught-out-penalty-charges/check-you-tick

There are no current plans to expand Real Time Exemption Checking beyond the pharmacy setting.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Bob Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the move toward patient self-referral for community audiology services as a default pathway in (a) Harrow East constituency and (b) England. \p Stephen Kinnock: The current community audiology service in Harrow East requires a referral from a healthcare professional to access the service. The North West London Integrated Care Board is examining how this service could be developed, in the light of recent guidance around increasing self-referral to services such as audiology, in a manner that meets the needs of the population and which fits sustainably within the funding available for this service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that additional urgent dental appointments are distributed equitably across Integrated Care Boards; and what the target number is for Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB. \p Stephen Kinnock: The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. The ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB is expected to deliver 13,990 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

The methodology used to determine how to allocate the 700,000 appointments across the ICBs has considered factors including unmet need, population size, and projected contract delivery at an ICB level in 2024/25. Details can be found in the letter sent to the ICBs on 21 February 2025 in Annex A, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/arrangements-for-nhs-urgent-primary-dental-care-during-2025-26-and-confirmation-of-the-closure-of-the-new-patient-premium-scheme/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the neurodiverse assessment waiting list. \p Stephen Kinnock: Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service, published September 2024, highlighted the severe delays in accessing autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, and that demand for assessments for ADHD and autism has grown significantly in recent years.

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

On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the NHS to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation and how they might overcome these.

NHS England is also working with research organisations to explore evidence-based models that support improved outcomes for those people waiting for an autism assessment.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors. The taskforce is working to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the final report expected in the summer.   In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan to inform future service planning.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to (a) support and (b) expand the clinical role of community pharmacies. \p Stephen Kinnock: We have concluded the most recent consultation on funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26 with the community pharmacy sector. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26, and will support community pharmacies in providing clinical services.

As part of this deal, we have increased the fees for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, the Pharmacy Contraception Service, Pharmacy First Clinical Pathways and Minor Illness, and the New Medicine Service, to support contractors offering these services. We will also expand the Pharmacy Contraception Service and the New Medicine Service.

The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including by making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. NHS England is currently testing how prescribing in community pharmacy could work to inform the commissioning of prescribing from community pharmacies in future.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Claire Young:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of online appointment booking systems on the ability of people without regular access to the internet to book GP appointments. \p Stephen Kinnock: We understand that not all patients can or want to use online services. To ensure that such patients are not excluded, the GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practice. Practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to a telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.

The 2025/26 GP Contract includes a new requirement for practices to enable online appointment requests throughout the duration of core opening hours, which will ease pressure on phone lines for people who prefer to telephone.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the creation of pharmacy deserts in the south west of England. \p Stephen Kinnock: Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.

Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS funded services. Most pharmacies are not directly commissioned or contracted by the NHS, instead contractors apply to gain entry to the NHS pharmaceutical list and if an application is approved, a pharmacy can open and start providing services.

Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies, and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, ICBs can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes and fund the contract from the ICBs’ budgets.

The Pharmacy Access Scheme helps protect access to pharmacies in areas where there are fewer pharmacies and higher health needs, so that no area is left without access to local, physical NHS pharmaceutical services.

In general, despite a reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years, patient access to pharmacies remains good, and continues to be better in the most deprived areas when compared with the least deprived.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure that GPs continue to receive (a) funding and (b) support following the dissolution of NHS England. \p Stephen Kinnock: We inherited a broken National Health Service which penalises hard working staff by hampering them with layers of bureaucracy, unclear lines of accountability, and a fragmented, duplicative system. It is a bad use of taxpayers’ money to have two national organisations doing the same jobs. This has left patients worse off and staff unable to do their jobs properly.

Creating a more efficient, leaner centre will free up capacity and help deliver significant savings of hundreds of millions of pounds a year which will be reinvested in frontline services and cutting waiting lists.

We remain committed to fixing the front door of the NHS, building on the progress to date to deliver meaningful reform to establish a modern general practice (GP) at the heart of a neighbourhood health service.

We are investing an additional £889 million in GPs to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. The 7.2% boost to the GP Contract is faster than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole, helping to reverse the decade-long trend of GPs receiving an ever-decreasing percentage of NHS funding.

GPs will continue to be a core element of the future of the NHS during and after the integration of NHS England into the Department.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to make the morning-after pill free at pharmacies in (a) Staffordshire and (b) England. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department is currently planning to expand the Pharmacy Contraception Service to include the supply of emergency hormonal contraception from October 2025. This means women will have access to the ‘morning-after pill’ free of charge at pharmacies on the National Health Service, which will ensure a consistent offer across the country.
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Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commission research on the outcomes following gender affirming surgery on young adults under the age of 25. \p Ashley Dalton: In line with the findings of the recent Cass Review, the Government is committed to supporting the development of research that delivers a robust, evidence-based understanding of gender dysphoria and transgender issues, especially where these issues relate to children and young people. The programme of research includes investments in research capacity, to enable National Health Service clinicians to dedicate time to research and ongoing service evaluation, and a living systematic review that will provide a regularly updated review of the latest international evidence to inform policy and frontline and clinical practice. These may produce new evidence on the outcomes following gender-affirming surgery on young adults, and contribute to ensuring that children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria are well-safeguarded.

The Department, through the National Institute for Health Research, welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including the outcomes following gender-affirming surgery on young adults. These 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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

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Mr James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS cancer trusts are (a) delivering radiotherapy contouring planning manually and (b) using AI auto contouring for radiotherapy. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England undertook a baseline assessment of artificially intelligent (AI) auto-contouring systems in summer 2024 which indicated that, at that time, 39 trusts had some AI arrangements in place.

The use of AI auto contouring technology to plan for treatments is not always suitable, useful, or available for all areas of the body, therefore, the actual percentage of cases where AI technology was used is not known.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of used nappies discarded in public places on Public Health. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of discarded used nappies on public health. The UKHSA and other agencies provide support to local authorities and their directors of public health for localised incidents, such as risks associated with household waste.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency have produced the statutory guidance Waste duty of care: code of practice, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice

Guidance for waste planning policy is published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of (a) the number of cases of leptospirosis and (b) the epidemiology of those cases. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) undertakes routine surveillance for leptospirosis infections in humans and publishes a quarterly report on the common animal-associated infections, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/common-animal-associated-infections-2024/common-animal-associated-infections-england-second-quarter-2024#leptospirosis

The following table shows the most recent figures of confirmed cases of leptospirosis in each quarter, from quarter one of 2023 to quarter two of 2024:

Quarter

2023

2024

Quarter one

5

15

Quarter two

8

15

Quarter three

34

N/A

Quarter four

23

N/A

Total

70

N/A

Leptospirosis cases in England show seasonality, with more cases reported in summer and autumn. Many cases diagnosed in England report exposure to potentially contaminated water or direct contact with rodents as the probable source of infection. Reported infections are most common in adult men, likely due to occupational and recreational exposures. However, infection can occur in anyone directly exposed to urine or urine-contaminated environments, regardless of age or sex.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.

The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.

Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

The Department of Health and Social Care has not made an estimate of the average distance travelled and cost incurred by children and young people when attending cancer appointments in the North Cornwall constituency.

On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.
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Mr James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for future funding of AI auto-contouring technology. \p Ashley Dalton: Any future spending commitments beyond 2025/26 will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process, which will conclude in June.

The Department continuously supports the National Health Service in reviewing opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence (AI) to transform diagnostic performance, bring down waiting times, and supporting staff with their workload.

Furthermore, the Department is carrying out work to assess the barriers of effective adoption and improve the way AI tools are deployed across the NHS through a number of initiatives, including the NHS AI Lab’s Ethics Initiative, which invests in research and practical interventions that could strengthen the ethical adoption of AI within health and care and addresses risks and concerns over their use.
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Mr James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve cancer survival rates, in the context of the withdrawal of funding for AI auto-contouring. \p Ashley Dalton: We will improve National Health Service cancer waiting time performance, so patients are diagnosed and treated faster. We will also improve cancer survival rates by diagnosing cancers at an earlier stage.

We will build on recent successes, including the roll out of the Lung Screening programme, to diagnose cancer earlier and boost survival rates.

Furthermore, the recently announced National Cancer Plan will set out key goals and actions to improve on cancer waiting time performance and survival rates.

The Department supports the NHS in reviewing opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to transform performance, bring down waiting times, and improve survival rates.
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Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that children are not prescribed cross-sex hormones by private medical providers. \p Karin Smyth: Children’s safety must always come first. That is why the Government and the National Health Service in England are implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review, in full.

In her review, Dr Cass recommended “extreme caution” when prescribing cross-sex hormones for individuals aged 16 to 18 years old. We expect all providers to act in line with this recommendation.

NHS England has begun the process of forming a new clinical commissioning policy for hormone medications. In NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services, as an interim measure, a national multi-disciplinary team with an independent chair will review all referrals of young people for cross-sex hormones before they can be initiated.

Furthermore, in response to the Commission on Human Medicines’ report on the safety implications of restricting the availability of puberty blockers for under 18 year olds, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce a quality standard for specialist gender services. Quality standards provide an evidence-based description of high-quality care, in a defined clinical area, and can be used by private providers.

The Secretary of State introduced an indefinite order on the sale and supply of puberty blockers for under 18 year olds. This order continues to prohibit the sale or supply of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues prescribed by private UK-registered prescribers, for gender dysphoria and/or incongruence, to under-18 year olds not already taking them, and on the sale and supply of the drugs against prescriptions from prescribers registered in the European Economic Area or Switzerland, for any purposes, to anyone under 18 years old. This came into effect on 1 January 2025 as the previous emergency order expired and will be formally reviewed in 2027. We will not hesitate to take further action should safety concerns arise.
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Alistair Strathern:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase availability of Givinostat for children. \p Karin Smyth: The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS independently based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by the NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. The NICE is currently evaluating givinostat for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and its independent Appraisal Committee will meet to consider the evidence in July 2025.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40741 on Health Services: Public Consultation, what was the cost to the public purse of (a) travel and (b) accommodation for the 11 working groups supporting the development of the 10-Year Health Plan. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has met the costs of travel and accommodation for a small number of working group members. The total cost to date is £912.25, which is made up of £750.35 of travel expenses, and £162.00 for accommodation.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the (a) recruitment of nurses and (b) availability of jobs for newly qualified nurses. \p Karin Smyth: Decisions about the employment of newly qualified nurses are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan 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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-24 conversation_50

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the retention of social workers in the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, to ensure the retention of our hardworking and dedicated staff, including social workers.

NHS England is leading the National Retention Programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.

In addition, the Department currently funds the Assessed Year in Employment to support the development and retention of newly qualified social workers employed within the statutory, private, voluntary, or independent sectors. This is a 12-month, employer led and employment-based programme of support and assessment for newly qualified social workers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-24 conversation_51

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in which order of priority will the hospitals in the New Hospital Programme be started. \p Karin Smyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out a credible and deliverable plan and sequencing for the hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The NHP Plan for Implementation was deposited into the House Library and published on GOV.UK website, and is available at the following link:

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

The NHP will be delivered through waves of investment, each approximately over five years, with waves comprising of a group of hospital schemes that will commence main construction within that period, but which may be completed after the period. Due to the substantive safety risks of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), the seven schemes to replace hospitals built primarily from RAAC will continue to be prioritised and will proceed at pace. The waves will be delivered in the following order, and the schemes for each wave are listed in the NHP Plan for Implementation:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-24 conversation_52

Nesil Caliskan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in levels of improvements to diagnostic services for pancreatic cancer since July 2024. \p Ashley Dalton: We will support the National Health Service to transform diagnostic services by spending £1.65 billion on additional capacity, including new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners, to support the delivery of over 30,000 more procedures and 1.25 million diagnostic tests as they come online.

Performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard for upper gastrointestinal cancer for the period July 2024 to February 2025 was 76.2%. This is a 3.1% increase over the same period in the previous year, from July 2023 to February 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-24 conversation_53

Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has a planned timetable for removing self-funded artificial insemination for same sex couples before they can access NHS-funded in vitro fertilisation. \p Karin Smyth: In the light of broader pressures on the National Health Service and on-going changes within NHS England, we have been looking again at achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services and fairness for all affected couples. Ministers will be considering advice on fertility treatment for same sex couples soon.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-24 conversation_54

Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings he has had on (a) assisted dying and (b) palliative care since his appointment. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-24 conversation_55

Mr Clive Betts:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to issue guidance to integrated care boards requiring them to protect the local place parts of their organisations when they are making their required spending reductions. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-24 conversation_56

Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is available for young people where a temporary break in post 16 education due to mental health leads to the removal of the child and disability element of Universal Credit. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-24 conversation_58

Dr Marie Tidball:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to roll out backdated payments for enhanced disability premium for claimants who transferred to Universal Credit before 14 February 2024; and whether these payments will be ongoing for claimants of Universal Credit who would have been previously eligible for enhanced disability premium beyond 14 February 2024. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We are providing transitional protection to some customers who moved to Universal Credit following a change in their circumstances and not via the “managed migration” process.

To end the losses new customers to Universal Credit were facing, new regulations came into force on 14th February 2024 that provide newly eligible customers, who move to Universal Credit following a change in their circumstances, with additional Transitional Protections where they are entitled to a Transitional Severe Disability Premium Element.

These regulations provide eligible people with an additional amount of transitional protection to reflect the loss of the Enhanced Disability Premium, the Disability Premium, and an amount for disabled children.

We are fully committed to identifying and paying eligible customers who have already moved to Universal Credit following a change in their circumstances. These payments commenced in January 2025. and we are committed to make payments to all eligible customers as soon as possible.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-24 conversation_59

Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and the University of Exeter report entitled Planetary Solvency, published on 16 January 2025; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing guidance on how pension funds can gain more realistic assessments of climate risk. \p Torsten Bell: Trustees of pension schemes in scope of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) are required to undertake scenario analysis to assess the resilience of their investment strategy against climate-related risks and opportunities. Trustees must have regard to the DWP’s statutory guidance when complying with these requirements. The Pensions Regulator has also issued guidance to trustees, which references free online resources such as the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) climate risk map. This resource can help trustees form an initial view of the types of risks and opportunities that might be relevant and help guide their discussions with advisers.

Climate scenario analysis tools and the information and data behind them are evolving rapidly, so trustees should keep developments under review. It is sensible for trustees to update their scenario analysis if modelling techniques and capabilities change.

The government will continue to work in collaboration with regulators and welcomes progress within the industry to ensure that climate risk models support effective decision-making under the existing legislative requirements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-24 conversation_60

Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she has made an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that newly appointed pension fund trustees are aware of the responsibility to consider climate risks in investments. \p Torsten Bell: There are a range of governance and reporting requirements that trustees, including new trustees, must meet. For trustees in scope, this includes disclosing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies in the Statement of Investment Principles (SIP) and explaining how and the extent to which those policies have been followed over the scheme year. Guidance is available from the Pensions Regulator (TPR) to help trustees understand these requirements and the 2024 Market Oversight Review provides further insight into TPR’s expectations around ESG duties.

The Occupational Pension Schemes (Climate Change Governance and Reporting) Regulations 2021 place requirements on trustees in our largest occupational pension schemes to demonstrate how they are managing climate-related risks and opportunities in an annual Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report. TPR’s Guidance includes a step-by-step example to help trustees develop their understanding of the requirements and upskill newer trustees. In a 2024 review of TCFD reports, TPR reported confidence in trustees maintaining up-to-date knowledge and understanding of climate risk.

As set out in their Climate Adaptation Report (2025), TPR is proactively focused on raising trustee awareness of climate-related systemic risks. TPR also continues to support new trustees through specific guidance and the Trustee toolkit, a free online learning programme that helps trustees gain the relevant skills, knowledge and understanding needed to fulfil their role.