Written questions by Rosindell.

What steps he is taking to help reduce instances of type 2 diabetes.

The Government is committed to tackling preventable ill health, such as type 2 diabetes, head-on and at the earliest opportunity. Excess weight and obesity are key risk factors for type 2 diabetes and we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on the National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.We have delivered on our commitment to restrict junk food advertising on television and online and are delivering a ban on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16 year olds. We are limiting volume price promotions such as “buy one get one free” on less healthy food and drink and have put in place a nationally standardised Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing service to ensure weight loss medicines are delivered safely and effectively. We will also double the number of patients able to access the NHS Digital Weight Management programme.In addition, we continue to support the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP), which has offered support to over 2.4 million people who are at risk of type 2 diabetes since its establishment in 2016. The NHS DPP is highly effective and has been found to reduce attendee’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37% compared to those who did not attend.We continue to deliver the NHS Health Check, a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease prevention programme, which aims to detect those at risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease aged between 40 and 74 years old.

What steps he is taking to tackle “dental deserts” where very few NHS dentists are available.

The Government acknowledges the challenges that National Health Service dental patients are facing in accessing a dentist in particular areas of the country, and we are taking action to improve this. Integrated care boards are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme, which will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in underserved areas for three years; and as announced in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be at least three years. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on shorter term improvements to the NHS dental contract on 16 December 2025. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest needs first while incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

What steps he is taking to encourage more dentists to provide NHS dentistry.

The Government acknowledges the challenges that National Health Service dental patients are facing in accessing a dentist in particular areas of the country, and we are taking action to improve this. Integrated care boards are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme, which will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in underserved areas for three years; and as announced in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be at least three years. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on shorter term improvements to the NHS dental contract on 16 December 2025. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest needs first while incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

Whether he has considered strengthening the licensing requirements of the General Dental Council to improve access to dentistry for children, as recommended in a recent Policy Exchange report.

The General Dental Council (GDC) is the independent regulator of dentistry in the United Kingdom. The GDC sets the standards that must be met by domestic and international applicants wishing to be added to the UK dental register. As an independent regulator, it would be for the GDC to determine whether any changes are required to its standards in response to the Policy Exchange report’s recommendations.

What steps he is taking to reduce the impact of emergency dental treatment on NHS hospitals.

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.We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require, therefore reducing the need for patients to go to Accident and Emergency for dental treatment unless necessary. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.Appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on interim improvements to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. More information is available from the GOV.UK website, at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

What additional funding is being made available for NHS dentistry to support the additional payments for emergency treatment announced on 15 December 2025.

The Government is implementing payment and quality reforms to the dental contract from April 2026, which will support dentists to prioritise those with the greatest need, shifting care away from clinically unnecessary check-ups and instead incentivising more complex and urgent care.The 2026 reforms are funded within the existing National Health Service dentistry budget, and in 2024/25 we invested approximately £3.7 billion on primary care dentistry.We want to ensure that every penny we allocate for dentistry is spent on dentistry, and that the ringfenced dental budget is spent on the patients who need it most.

What steps he has taken to help reduce cases of hyperglycaemia in a) England and b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published advice on the management of type 1 diabetes, including advice on managing hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, which is available at the following link: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/diabetes-type-1/management/ NICE’s guidance includes the use of hybrid close loops (HCL) for type 1 diabetes which provide real time monitoring of glucose levels and administer insulin when needed to prevent hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Following NICE’s guidance, NHS England developed a five-year national strategy with guidance to National Health Service providers on the phased uptake approach of HCL systems. The guidance applies nationally, including to Romford. Rollout started last year. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta943NHS England also commissions diabetes digital structured education services, which support users to self-manage their condition.

What steps he has taken to help reduce cases of hypoglycaemia in a) England and b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published advice on the management of type 1 diabetes, including advice on managing hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, which is available at the following link: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/diabetes-type-1/management/ NICE’s guidance includes the use of hybrid close loops (HCL) for type 1 diabetes which provide real time monitoring of glucose levels and administer insulin when needed to prevent hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Following NICE’s guidance, NHS England developed a five-year national strategy with guidance to National Health Service providers on the phased uptake approach of HCL systems. The guidance applies nationally, including to Romford. Rollout started last year. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta943NHS England also commissions diabetes digital structured education services, which support users to self-manage their condition.

How many patients received NHS electroshock therapy in every year since 2010 in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

In line with National Institute for Clinical Excellence’s guidelines, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used in current United Kingdom clinical practice as a treatment option for individuals with depressive illness, catatonia and mania, and is occasionally used to treat schizophrenia. The following table shows the number of patients who received National Health Service ECT in England every year since 2016:Financial yearNumber of patients receiving ECT in England2016/20173462017/20184412018/20193262019/20205722020/20214642021/20225712022/20236092023/20247172024/2025955Source: NHS England.Notes:data is not available prior to April 2016; andalthough there were no reported ECT contacts for patients in the Havering Local Authority in the period provided, it is possible that the correct codes were not recorded and submitted to Mental Health Services Data Set. Data is not available prior to 2016. This data is not available at a constituency level, and, although the data is collected at local authority level, NHS England has advised that there were no reported electroshock therapy contacts for patients in the Havering Local Authority during this period.

How a) treatment plans b) payment plans are determined based on the patient’s status of i) British Citizen ii) Citizen of a British Overseas territory.

Treatment plans are agreed between clinicians and patients based on clinical needs. Only those who are not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom are required to pay for healthcare in England unless an exemption applies. Payment plans are agreed between trusts and the patient based on their individual circumstances, and where it is appropriate to do so.

What discussions he has had with the Government of Montserrat regarding the requirement that patients accept full financial liability for medivac costs and all overseas medical expenses prior to emergency evacuation, and whether this policy is consistent with UK support for the territory’s health budget and obligations under Article 73 of the UN Charter.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office provides budget support to the Government of Montserrat. Specific healthcare budget allocations are a matter for the Government of Montserrat. The United Kingdom Government fulfils all its responsibilities under Article 73 of the United Nations Charter to promote the political, economic, social, and educational advancement of the overseas territories.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2025 to Question 86606, what steps he has taken to ensure that citizens of British Overseas Territories have access to NHS services whilst resident in the UK.

National Health Service care is provided free at the point of use to people who are ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom. Being ordinarily resident broadly means living in the UK on a lawful and properly settled basis. People who are not considered ordinarily resident in the UK are required to pay for healthcare in England unless an exemption applies.If citizens of British Overseas Territories are assessed as being ordinarily resident in the UK, they are able to access NHS care free at the point of use.

What assessment has been made of the proportion of terminated NICE health technology appraisals that are for blood cancer treatments compared to other cancers.

Since August 2019, 31% of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisals for blood cancer treatments were terminated as the company withdrew from the NICE appraisal process. For the same period, 21% of appraisals for all cancers were terminated.Between 2019 and 2025 so far, 93% of blood cancer treatment recommendations in completed NICE appraisals were positive, which is higher than the rate across the whole NICE portfolio. NICE has also recommended more treatments for blood cancers in draft guidance that are now available to eligible patients through the Cancer Drugs Fund.NICE strives to get the best care to patients fast and ensure value for the taxpayer. The aligned NICE and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency pathway, set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, will allow NICE to bring medicines to patients three to six months sooner. NICE also continues to support and work with companies to identify the best time to submit appraisals and to ensure they have a clear understanding of NICE’s methods and processes, to try and avoid terminations.

What steps are being taken to improve patient access to clinically effective new blood cancer treatments for NHS patients.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NHS England funds NICE-recommended cancer medicines from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of positive draft NICE guidance, bringing forward patient access by approximately five months than would otherwise be the case.For the years 2023/24 to 2024/25, NICE recommended 25 medicines to treat blood cancer that are now available for the treatment of NHS patients.

What recent steps he has taken to reduce instances of (a) suicide and (b) self-harm.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App.The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies eight priority groups for targeted and tailored support at a national level, including people who have self-harmed. The strategy also identifies key risk factors for suicide, providing an opportunity for effective early intervention.NHS England published Staying safe from suicide: Best practice guidance for safety assessment, formulation and management to support the Government’s work to reduce suicide and improve mental health services. The guidance requires all mental health practitioners to align their practice to the latest evidence in suicide prevention, and can be found at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/publication/staying-safe-from-suicideThe NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework states that in 2026/27, all integrated care boards must ensure mental health practitioners across all providers undertake training and deliver care in line with the Staying safe from suicide guidance.

How many instances of (a) suicide and (b) suicide attempts on NHS property have been reported in (i) England and (ii) Romford constituency in every year since 2010.

The information requested is not held centrally.

How many instances of patient neglect by NHS employees have been reported in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency in every year since 2010.

Providers of National Health Services are responsible for collating organisational safeguarding data. Local authorities will hold data on referrals made on adult safeguarding to them by NHS or independent health services.At a national level, annual data on safeguarding adult referrals, including data on neglect and the location of risk, based on local authority area is published and available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/safeguarding-adults

How many instances of neglect by NHS visiting carers have been reported in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency in every year since 2010.

Providers of National Health Services are responsible for collating organisational safeguarding data. Local authorities will hold data on referrals made on adult safeguarding to them by NHS or independent health services.At a national level, annual data on safeguarding adult referrals, including data on neglect and the location of risk, based on local authority area is published and available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/safeguarding-adults

What steps he has taken to provide doctors with a plan to improve (a) pay for NHS doctors and (b) job security for NHS doctors.

The Government accepted the headline pay recommendations for National Health Service doctors made by the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Renumeration (DDRB) for 2025/26. Consultant and Specialist and Specialty doctors received pay uplifts above forecast inflation of 4% and resident doctors received 4% plus £750. Resident doctors have received the highest pay uplift in the public sector over the past two years, with pay uplifts amounting to 28.9% over three years. While the Government has been clear that it cannot go further on pay this year, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has met with the British Medical Association (BMA) to discuss their priorities and is committed to improving the working lives of all NHS staff.The Government has taken steps to accelerate the pay setting process for this year to ensure that uplifts are made in a timely manner. To achieve this, we remitted the DDRB on 22 July and submitted written evidence to them on 30 October. Written evidence was submitted a month earlier than last year, which means we are still on track for pay uplifts to go into pay packets earlier than in previous years.In acknowledgement of doctors’ concerns about jobs and access to training places, the Government made an offer to BMA’s Resident Doctors Committee to double the previously announced increase in specialty training places in the 10-Year Health Plan to 2,000, bringing 1,000 of these forward to next year, to create an alternative training pathway and take steps to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates and doctors with significant NHS experience for specialty posts. On top of this commitment, NHS England has already made changes to the specialty training application process this year to reduce competition and support UK graduates.

What steps his Department has taken to prepare for the risk of increasing flu cases amid NHS strikes.

The National Health Service in England has been preparing for winter with the development and better testing of winter plans with surge capacity and escalation plans in place across all NHS and urgent care services. In September NHS England ran seven regionally-led exercises to enable integrated care boards and trusts to stress test whether their plans are sufficient and robust to mitigate winter pressures from baseline, moderate, and extreme levels of respiratory illness and/or flu surge.As set out in the 2025/26 Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, the NHS is focussing on improvements that will see the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care performance this winter. This includes expanding community access to urgent care, for example for patients to be treated in virtual wards, and improving vaccination uptake among frontline staff.The priority is to keep patients as safe as possible during any industrial action. The NHS makes every effort through rigorous contingency planning to minimise disruption as a result of industrial action and its impact on patients and the public. Assessments are made by local trusts about the level of resourcing, and they can escalate via regions and nationally, where appropriate.