theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure NHS services in North Shropshire are adequately equipped to provide care for people with polycystic ovary syndrome. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises that women suffering with gynaecological conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships and participation in education and the workforce. We know that more needs to be done to support women with gynaecological conditions.

Patients who are concerned they have symptoms which may be caused by PCOS should seek help from their general practitioner (GP) who can arrange the necessary investigations, make a diagnosis, and discuss initial treatments. Patients with more complex symptoms of PCOS can be referred to gynaecology or endocrinology services provided by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust, and those who need support related to fertility can be referred to Shropshire and Mid Wales Fertility Clinic in Shrewsbury which offers fertility evaluations and treatments.

NICE is currently developing a guideline on the assessment and management of PCOS and published the scope of the guideline in July 2025, which includes “information resources, models of care, cultural and linguistic considerations” and “management of psychological features”.
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Sojan Joseph:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of cancelled surgeries (a) at the East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust and (b) in England as a result of increased humidity in operating theatres. \p Karin Smyth: National Health Service organisations are locally responsible for their estate, including making decisions on the management of operating theatres. Guidance on ventilation in healthcare premises, including humidity, is provided in the Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 03-01: Specialised ventilation for healthcare premises, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-ventilation-for-healthcare-buildings/
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) education about and (b) awareness of endometriosis. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.

On 15 July, the Department for Education published the revised Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance, which stipulates that secondary school RSHE lessons should cover menstrual and gynaecological health, covering aspects such as what is an average period, conditions including endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, and when to seek help from healthcare professionals. This revised guidance emphasises the importance of ensuring that pupils have a comprehensive understanding of women’s health topics.

The General Medical Council has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content map for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health, including menstrual problems, endometriosis, menopause, and urinary incontinence. This will encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK.

Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for trainee general practitioners, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists. In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated their guideline on endometriosis which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with a suspected diagnosis, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73)www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Imkaan’s report entitled Why Should Our Rage be Tidy, published in November 2024, what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS is equipped to (a) identify and (b) appropriately respond to signs of domestic and sexual violence. \p Karin Smyth: Imkaan’s report highlights the distinct and additional challenges faced by black and minoritised victims of domestic and sexual violence. All National Health Service staff are required to complete mandatory safeguarding training which includes how to identify and respond to domestic and sexual violence. This training is being revised and is due to be re-launched in early 2026. The training update will strengthen the importance of intersectional considerations, including helping staff to understand the impact of trauma and cultural barriers to discussing abuse.

There are a wide range of healthcare services that victims and survivors can access including sexual assault referral centres, which provide medical, practical and emotional support to victims of sexual assault and onward referral to wider support services.

National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards have appointed Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence leads to review their policies, training and support systems for patients and staff. This network of leads is used to help share and promote good practice, identify issues and develop practical solutions to support both patients and staff affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.
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Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the NICE guidelines for Dysmenorrhoea, Adenomyosis, and Chronic Pelvic Pain conditions to be published. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has no current plans to develop standalone guidelines on dysmenorrhoea, adenomyosis, and chronic pelvic pain.

There are existing NICE guidelines on heavy menstrual bleeding, chronic pain, and endometriosis. There is also a Clinical Knowledge Summary on dysmenorrhoea that summarises the current evidence base and provides practical advice for primary care professionals.

Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process. Decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by an integrated, cross-organisational prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s chief medical officer.
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people over 25 with suspected ADHD in Coventry and Warwickshire have timely access to (a) assessment and (b) treatment. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England, not my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, engage directly with Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), on this matter.

It is the responsibility of ICBs in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local populations, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The ICB advises that in March 2025, it introduced a new interim policy under which the ICB will only fund new ADHD referrals for people aged under 25 years old at the point of referral. The ICB advises that this is due to concerns about the effectiveness of the current system locally, particularly for children and young people, and this policy will free up clinical time and funding to be reinvested in children’s ADHD services. The ICB has committed to undertake a comprehensive review of the entire ADHD assessment pathway, working with children, young people, and adults with ADHD, to ensure it meets their needs.

Nationally, NHS England has captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.
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Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of (a) current waiting times and (b) levels of access to specialist counselling support for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence for people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. \p Stephen Kinnock: We know that too many people, including survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, are not receiving the mental health care they need, and that waits for mental health services are too long. We are determined to change that, which is why we have chosen to prioritise funding to expand NHS Talking Therapies. This means that the number of people completing a course of treatment is expected to increase by 384,000 by 2028/29. Latest data from NHS England for June 2025 shows that 89.1% of people completing Talking Therapies treatment waited less than six weeks for their first appointment, against a target of 75%. 98.6% of people completing treatment waited less than 18 weeks, against a target of 95%.

Protecting and supporting child and adult victims and survivors of sexual abuse is a core priority for NHS England, delivered through a network of 48 specialist sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) across the country. NHS England commissions SARCs through a distinct national service specification including working with specialist support services, ensuring that children and young people aged up to 18 years old receive trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate care and safeguarding support, and that adults receive tailored care that reflects their needs and rights, with clear referral pathways to health, justice, and specialist support services. NHS England does not hold national information on current waiting times and access for people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds to specialist counselling support for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

This is in addition to the support services commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office.
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Steff Aquarone:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support the establishment of a dental school at the University of East Anglia. \p Stephen Kinnock: We would like to congratulate the University of East Anglia on its newly awarded dental school status and its ambitions to train the future dentistry workforce. Tackling the geographical disparities in access to National Health Service dentistry is vital, and the Government welcomes efforts to help to deliver this ambition.

Government approval or funding is not required to establish a new dental school. Provided that a prospective dental school meets the requirements of the General Dental Council and the Office for Students, it would be considered for any future Government-funded training places.

We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. It will be more empowered, more flexible, and more fulfilled. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the NHS has the right people in the right places, and with the right skills, to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it. From now on, we will ensure that staff will be better treated, and have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so that they can achieve more.
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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide funding certainty to hospices beyond this financial year, in the context of the 10-year plan for palliative and end-of-life care. \p Stephen Kinnock: One of the three ‘shifts’ that the 10 Year Health Plan will deliver is around the Government’s determination to shift healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift and were highlighted in the plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

To support integrated care boards (ICBs) in the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the service delivery of end of life care for adults also includes recommendations about 24/7 access to care. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to help ensure that services remove variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Baroness Casey on how sector stakeholders can engage with the commission on adult social care. \p Stephen Kinnock: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, engages with Baroness Louise Casey regularly on a number of issues, including adult social care.

On 8 September, my Rt. Hon. Friend attended cross-party discussions, chaired by Baroness Casey, with representatives from political parties.

Over the coming months, the commission will start a national conversation by inviting members of the public, people drawing on care and support, and organisations to submit evidence and to share their stories and ideas for improvement of the existing adult social care system. The commission will set out more details in due course.
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Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of fragmented care pathways on (a) patient outcomes and (b) NHS resource use; and what steps he is taking to improve care coordination for patients with long-term conditions. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Neighbourhood Health Service will embody our new preventative principle that care should happen as locally as it can: digitally by default, in a patient’s home, if possible, in a neighbourhood health centre when needed, and only in a hospital if necessary. Through this model, we will rebalance our health and care system so that it fits around people’s lives, not the other way round. This approach will mean patients are not sent from pillar to post, improving outcomes and making better use of resources.

In the meantime, we have launched the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) to support systems across the country by driving innovation and integration at a local level, to accelerate improvements in patient outcomes and patient satisfaction and ensure that care is more joined-up, accessible, and responsive to community needs. The initial focus for all the first places in the NNHIP will be adults with multiple long-term conditions and rising risk, before progressing to other places and populations. There will be a rigorous monitoring of outcomes and metrics for the NNHIP.
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Sarah Dyke:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many community hospital beds will be provided in each of the next five years in Somerset. \p Stephen Kinnock: The number of community hospital beds operational varies over the course of the year in response to supply and demand. For example, fewer beds are needed during the summer.

The Government expects neighbourhood services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While we will be clear on the outcomes that we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need, and while the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, the service will look different in rural communities, coastal towns, or deprived inner cities.

Through our National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP), we will work with places across all systems to spread and scale up good practice and learning, create exemplars, and build the culture and capability required for delivery. This will be an inclusive large-scale change programme for all system partners.
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Danny Beales:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64681 on Prostate Cancer: Hormone Treatments, for what reason recurrent headroom in revenue budgets is considered a barrier to implementing the abiraterone acetate plus prednisone/prednisolone treatment. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Reimbursement of abiraterone across all indications is managed at a national level by NHS England who must ensure the affordability of introducing any new routine commissioning policies, alongside maintaining existing services for patients and meeting their legal requirement to fund all National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended medicines.

Abiraterone has not been licensed for the treatment of high-risk, hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer, and has not been assessed by NICE in this indication. NHS England therefore enabled a clinically-led review of the treatment in this indication determining it to be the highest priority for routine commissioning, and intends to commission the treatment for eligible patients as soon as recurrent funding is identified.
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to expand access to weight loss medications through the NHS. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Until recently, the newest obesity medicines liraglutide, under various brand names, semaglutide, under the brand name Wegovy, and tirzepatide, under the brand name Mounjaro, have only been available via the National Health Service through specialist weight management services which are mainly hospital-based.

From 23 June, tirzepatide has started to become available in primary care, meaning it can be prescribed by general practitioners, or other competent prescribers. NHS England’s phased rollout within primary care will prioritise those with the greatest clinical need. Approximately 220,000 people are expected to benefit in the first three years of implementation. As part of the rollout plans, the NHS will look at different service models, including digital and community options. New approaches might enable access to be expanded more quickly. Progress will be reviewed in three years, and the roll out will be sped up if possible.

In addition, the 10-Year Health Plan sets out our ambition to build on these plans by testing innovative models of delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients.

On 12 August we announced an £85 million competition to fund the design and delivery of new community and primary care weight management pathways to support access to interventions such as weight loss medications. We expect tens of thousands of patients to directly benefit from increased access to interventions, such as GLP-1s. This will generate new evidence to inform the future commissioning and rollout of tirzepatide.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with (a) NHS England and (b) the National Institute for Health and Care Research on (i) expanding the number of recruiting sites for and (ii) including James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough in the MND-SMART trial. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Decisions on site selection for clinical trials rest with the study sponsor, shaped by the design and requirements of the trial.

No discussions about the MND-SMART trial have been held with the Department. However, while we are not directly involved in these decisions, the Department works through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to ensure a fair and transparent process for site identification.

The NIHR’s United Kingdom-wide site identification service enables National Health Service organisations, including the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, to express interest and suitability to host research. This provides an inclusive and transparent process that ensures opportunities are shared equitably across the country, with decisions guided by the real-time capacity and capability of sites.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with motor neurone disease, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on (a) NHS Digital Services and (b) the (i) storage and (ii) retention of patient data. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The merger of NHS England into the Department will not prevent us continuing to deliver the digital services on which the National Health Service relies, maintaining the highest standards of cyber security and ensuring patient data continues to be appropriately and safely stored. Legislation will make provision as necessary, with Parliament’s approval, to transfer the statutory responsibilities of NHS England to the Department.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to (a) mental health and (b) pain management support for people with endometriosis. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Long wait times are a feature of a system in desperate need of change. On mental health, we are already responding by delivering new, innovative models of care in the community, including piloting six neighbourhood adult mental health centres, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to bring together community, crisis and inpatient care.

We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers to ensure people can access treatment and support earlier with 6,700 of these having been recruited since July 2024. We are prioritising expansions of Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support schemes, supporting those with mild to moderate mental illness through earlier intervention.

Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the research delivery arm of the Department, funds a range of research to support women’s health conditions, including endometriosis. Funding has been awarded to studies seeking to improve outcomes for women with endometriosis by better understanding the condition, enabling earlier diagnosis, and evaluating current and emerging treatment options. This includes research on mental health and pain management support for people with endometriosis.
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Sir Gavin Williamson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking assist councils to reduce the cost of social care. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government recognises challenges facing adult social care and is taking action to improve the system and enable more people to live independently for longer. While local authorities are best placed to plan and deliver care and support that meet the current and future needs of their populations, we are supporting them to deliver high quality and person-centred care.

In 2025/26, to enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, we made available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities, which included an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant. We are providing £172 million across this and the last financial year, for around 15,000 home adaptations.

We will support commissioners and care providers to adopt preventative care technologies by introducing new national standards and trusted guidance. To support efficiency and the delivery of care, we are also developing a new national data infrastructure for adult social care to lay the foundations for near real-time visibility of information across health and care services.

We have also launched the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, chaired by Baroness Casey, to lead a national conversation and consider how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.
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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 the support available to (a) families and (b) carers of people with frontotemporal dementia. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government recognises the vital role of families and unpaid carers and is committed to improving dementia care and ensuring carers have the support they need.

Under the 10 Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

To support carers, we are equipping and supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining their caring tasks by introducing a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App. The Government is also reviewing the implementation of carer’s leave and the potential benefits of introducing paid leave.

From 7 April, the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit increased from £151 to £196, the largest rise since its introduction. Local authorities, under the Care Act 2014, have a duty to provide high-quality, sustainable support services for carers.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve training for health and social care staff in supporting patients with frontotemporal dementia. \p Stephen Kinnock: Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10 Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia; it will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

We want all health and care staff to have received appropriate training to provide high quality care to people with dementia. Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients. The required training needs are set out in the Dementia Training Standards Framework, which is available through Skills for Health.

In January, we announced that the Care Workforce Pathway will expand to further support opportunities for career progression and development.

The Care Workforce pathway is designed to be a foundation which will enable individuals to develop a ‘portable portfolio’ of skills attained both through learning programmes and practical experience within a range of care services, such as learning disabilities, autism or dementia.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to expand dental services in rural areas. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural areas.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.

ICBs are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists. The Government’s ambition is to deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to increase the number of GPs in South East London. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) in primary care networks (PCNs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to secure the future pipeline of GPs. This funding has been continued into 2025/26.

Data on the number of recently qualified GPs for which PCNs are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS show that since 1 October 2024, over 2,000 GPs were recruited through the scheme. Several changes have been made to increase the flexibility of the ARRS in 2025/26. This includes GPs and practice nurses included in the main ARRS funding pot, an uplift of the maximum reimbursable rate for GPs in the scheme, and no caps on the number of GPs that can be employed through the scheme.

Thanks to new flexibilities under the ARRS, South East London general practices have grown the number of GPs across South East London by approximately 40 working time equivalent between July 2024 and July 2025, utilising the funding offered through this scheme to bring South East London in line with the London average of GPs per 10,000 registered population.

NHS South East London has work programmes in place to improve recruitment and retention and has commissioned a package of recruitment and retention support from the South East London Workforce Development Hub, a training hub for general practice.

We are investing an additional £1,092 million in general practice to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is faster than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget overall.
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Sir Gavin Williamson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that social care providers provide value for money to (a) the public purse and (b) residents. \p Stephen Kinnock: Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes working closely with local providers to achieve a balance of quality, effectiveness and value for money that ensures that people who draw on care have a choice of appropriate and high-quality care services in their local area.

To ensure high standards of care, local authorities are assessed by the Care Quality Commission in how well they are delivering their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide funding for (a) adult and (b) children’s hospices for the next ten years. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant. In 2024/25 and 2025/26, this funding was administered via integrated care boards in line with National Health Service devolution.

The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality and sustainability of all-age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

Officials will present further proposals to Ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60209 on Carers, whether the cross-Government meeting has a statutory remit. \p Stephen Kinnock: Unpaid carers play a vital role and can access support from adult and children’s social care and the National Health Service, as well as through benefits, employers, schools, colleges, and universities. However, we know that too often systems are disjointed, difficult to navigate, and don’t appropriately identify and communicate with carers.

The Government is determined to work together to provide carers of all ages with the recognition and support they deserve.

Ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Department for Education have convened twice this year to discuss support for unpaid carers and consider opportunities to provide further recognition and support. These are early meetings of a group exploring further ways in which carers can be supported, and as such it does not have a statutory remit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_197

Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of conducting a national safeguarding review into the protection of disabled dependents when their sole carer is incapacitated. \p Stephen Kinnock: Any form of abuse or neglect is unacceptable, and the Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a statutory duty to make enquiries about safeguarding concerns and support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 also requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for unpaid carers.

The Carer Contingency Campaign Pack: Supporting Carers and Strengthening Local Care Systems, developed by the Carers Trust with NHS England and the Health and Wellbeing Alliance, helps local carer organisations to implement Carer Contingency Plans, which are structured protocols ensuring care continuity when the carer is unexpectedly unavailable. Unpaid carers can be supported to create contingency plans to ensure the person they care for continues receiving support if they are suddenly unavailable. It includes practical tools, good practice examples, and guidance on emergency planning.

We have launched an independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Casey. The Commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.

The Commission's Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define its remit to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including the safeguarding of those receiving care if the Commission sees fit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_198

Connor Naismith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support for displaced care workers. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has made up to £12.5 million available this financial year for 15 regional partnerships to continue to support displaced international care workers. The international recruitment regional fund aims to prevent and respond to exploitative employment practices of internationally recruited care staff. This includes support for individuals impacted by their sponsor’s license being revoked to find alternative, ethical employment.

As of July 2025, over 1,600 people have been directly supported into new sponsored employment by the regional partnerships. This data has not been independently verified by the Department or UK Visas and Immigration, and these figures do not provide a complete picture as workers are under no obligation to report their employment outcomes back to their regional partnership. Regional partnerships are also currently supporting thousands more displaced workers, including support with CV writing and interview techniques, introducing workers to ethical providers with appropriate vacancies, and offering pastoral support to workers who have experienced unethical or exploitative practices.

We have commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce to undertake an independent evaluation of the 2024/25 international recruitment regional fund. We expect the final report of this evaluation to be published by King's College London in 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_199

Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that elderly people have reliable access to dental care. \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 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. This includes considering the needs of elderly populations. The ICB for the Tewkesbury constituency is Gloucestershire ICB.

We know that as people age, they tend to move to rural and coastal areas where the challenges in accessing NHS dentistry are exacerbated. We have introduced the Golden Hellos scheme which will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

ICBs may commission specialised dental services including domiciliary care for elderly people living in care homes. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on oral health in care homes sets out several recommendations for care homes to help maintain and improve oral health and ensure timely access to dental treatment for their residents. The Government expects care homes to be following NICE guidance and recommendations in this area.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_200

Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish formal terms of reference for the review of the Carr-Hill formula. \p Stephen Kinnock: The review of the Carr-Hill formula will consider how health needs are reflected in the distribution of funding through the GP contract, drawing on a range of evidence and advice from experts.

Arrangements for the Carr-Hill review are being finalised. Further details will be confirmed in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_201

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the planned termination of the Minor Eye Conditions Service in Coventry and Warwickshire from 1 November 2025 on (a) GP workloads, (b) A&E workloads, (c) patient outcomes and (d) meeting the objectives of the NHS Long Term Plan to (i) expand community-based care and (ii) reduce unnecessary hospital attendances. \p Stephen Kinnock: The responsibility for the delivery, implementation and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioner. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_202

Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the final report of the review into the Carr-Hill formula. \p Stephen Kinnock: Arrangements for the Carr-Hill review are being finalised. Further details will be confirmed in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_203

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with Jhoots Pharmacy on unpaid (a) staff wages and (b) suppliers. \p Stephen Kinnock: National Health Service pharmaceutical services, the staff who provide them, and the community pharmacies from which they are delivered are regulated. The entire system is laid out in legislation and is subject to assurance and inspection by both integrated care boards (ICBs) and the General Pharmaceutical Council.

ICBs are responsible for monitoring that contractors are adhering to their NHS terms of service, investigating and acting in cases of non-compliance. ICBs are also responsible for determining applications for new pharmacies including changes of ownership. The legislative framework is under constant review and is updated as required.

The Department does not make assessments of the suitability of individual pharmacy contractors. The Department also does not engage directly with individual pharmacy contractors to discuss matters like unpaid staff or suppliers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_204

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the the suitability of Jhoots Pharmacy as a provider of NHS pharmacy services. \p Stephen Kinnock: National Health Service pharmaceutical services, the staff who provide them, and the community pharmacies from which they are delivered are regulated. The entire system is laid out in legislation and is subject to assurance and inspection by both integrated care boards (ICBs) and the General Pharmaceutical Council.

ICBs are responsible for monitoring that contractors are adhering to their NHS terms of service, investigating and acting in cases of non-compliance. ICBs are also responsible for determining applications for new pharmacies including changes of ownership. The legislative framework is under constant review and is updated as required.

The Department does not make assessments of the suitability of individual pharmacy contractors. The Department also does not engage directly with individual pharmacy contractors to discuss matters like unpaid staff or suppliers.