Written questions by Morello.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the reorganisation of integrated care boards in Dorset on the NHS estate in the next two years.

NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners and reduce duplication of responsibilities within their structure. NHS England will work closely with ICBs to ensure their plans to deliver these changes do not compromise the quality of care or the statutory responsibilities of ICBs.NHS England has circulated the Model ICB blueprint which lists primary care operations and transformation, including estates support, and estates and infrastructure strategy as functions in scope for reviewing for ICBs to transfer over time to neighbourhood health providers and providers respectively. NHS trusts will maintain a statutory responsibility over their assets, including their estate.Currently, Dorset ICB has a small estates function which is predominantly focused on the primary care estate and some capital oversight. There has been significant investment in estates in Dorset over the last few years and continuing this year through the New Hospital Programme (NHP) and other capital programmes which will give improved facilities through the acute sites, namely University Hospitals Dorset and Dorset County Hospital, and hubs in the community including Wimborne, Shaftesbury, Sherborne and Forston. Much of this is already in place and being managed with NHS trusts and through the NHP.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that new housing developments have adequate access to GPs.

The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to ensure all new and existing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure. This is alongside guidance on how developer contributions from new housing developments can be better negotiated and used towards delivering local health services and infrastructure.Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning, planning, securing, and monitoring general practice services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including general practices, in each local area. It should take account of population growth and demographic changes.

What steps he is taking to ensure community pharmacy provision in new housing developments in Dorset.

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. Legislation requires PNAs to include considerations of the future need for pharmaceutical services in the area. The Department has published an information pack to support local authorities in preparation of PNAs, with the pack available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/617bdc31d3bf7f5601cf3168/pharmaceutical-needs-assessment-information-pack.pdfChapter 6 of the information pack provides advice on how future needs, improvement or better access should be articulated in the PNA, including following any new housing developments. These assessments inform commissioning decisions by integrated care boards.

What steps his Department is taking increase the number of optometrists in West Dorset.

NHS England provides an annual grant for supervisors of optometry trainees. This payment is an essential element of ensuring adequate training provision is available for new optometrists.Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services and receive an annual allocation of funding to secure services to meet the needs of their local population. Any decisions about the recruitment of optometrists are a matter for individual employers.We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

If he will publish the risk assessment for the abolition of NHS England.

The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. By the end of the process, we estimate that these changes will save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services.It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. These ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.The Government is committed to transparency and will consider how best to ensure that the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the (a) planning and (b) delivery of primary care services.

Ministers and senior Department officials are working with the new executive team in NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to form a new joint centre. As we bring the two organisations together, we will continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds, and will put plans in place to mitigate any identified risks.

What steps his Department is taking to support farmers experiencing mental health difficulties in rural areas.

We know that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we recognise that those living and working in isolated communities, including farmers, may face particular challenges in accessing the mental health services that they need.Specifically in relation to farmers and agricultural communities, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is supporting access to farmer mental health support services by funding the Farmer Welfare Grant. This aids organisations in delivering projects which will support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities. One recipient, the Farming Community Network, is using the funding to expand their FarmWell platform. This online resource provides business and personal resilience advice on topics including mental health, isolation, depression, and suicide.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is also developing options in consultation with communities, farming support organisations, and experts across the Government, as to how it can further support the Department for Health and Social Care’s investment in mental health interventions for those in agricultural communities.

What assessment she has made of the barriers to mental health support for farmers in isolated communities.

We know that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we recognise that those living and working in isolated communities, including farmers, may face particular challenges in accessing the mental health services that they need.Specifically in relation to farmers and agricultural communities, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is supporting access to farmer mental health support services by funding the Farmer Welfare Grant. This aids organisations in delivering projects which will support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities. One recipient, the Farming Community Network, is using the funding to expand their FarmWell platform. This online resource provides business and personal resilience advice on topics including mental health, isolation, depression, and suicide.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is also developing options in consultation with communities, farming support organisations, and experts across the Government, as to how it can further support the Department for Health and Social Care’s investment in mental health interventions for those in agricultural communities.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the cost of care home placements.

Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on preparedness for a future pandemic.

The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. As we work to bring the two organisations together, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.Ensuring the United Kingdom is prepared for a future pandemic is a top priority for the Government, embedding lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, and aiming to have flexible, adaptable and scalable capabilities that can respond to any infectious disease or threat.The Government will continue to ensure pandemic preparedness throughout the transition and beyond, while also using the opportunities presented by the two organisations coming together.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure access to NHS dentistry in new housing estates.

The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure all new and existing housing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure. This is alongside guidance on how developer contributions from new housing developments can be better negotiated and used towards delivering local health services and infrastructure.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.ICBs are responsible for having local processes in place to involve patient groups, and for undertaking oral health needs assessments, to identify areas of need. For the West Dorset constituency, this is the NHS Dorset ICB.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the level of risk in medical care.

As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.Patient safety will remain paramount over this transformation period. We will put plans in place to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety.

What recent assessment he has made of the affordability of weekly care home fees.

Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

What steps his Department is taking to monitor health outcomes linked to water pollution in West Dorset.

The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) South West Health Protection Regional team provides specialist advice and guidance on a range of public health threats to system partners across the South West region, which includes rivers and coastal waters of the West Dorset Constituency.The UKHSA’s South West Health Protection Regional team monitors outbreaks, clusters, and statistical exceedances of gastro-intestinal illness. This includes risk and needs assessments and includes routine surveillance to detect and manage exceedances of gastro-intestinal and other illnesses across the South West.

Whether Integrated Care Board mergers are planned for Dorset.

NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health services and reduce duplication of responsibilities within their structure. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025 where ICBs were tasked to develop plans setting out how they will manage their resources to deliver across their priorities. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/Dorset ICB is discussing proposals to form a wider ICB “cluster” with neighbouring colleagues at NHS Somerset and NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. This is very much a proposal, which will need to be worked through in more detail over the coming months.

What plans his Department has to support the (a) training and (b) recruitment of optometrists in underserved areas.

NHS England provides an annual grant for supervisors of optometry trainees. This payment is an essential element of ensuring that adequate training provision is available for new optometrists.Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services and receive an annual allocation of funding to secure services to meet the needs of their local population. Any decisions about the recruitment of optometrists are a matter for individual employers, to ensure 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 workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to eye care services for low-income populations.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet local needs, and have a duty under the Health and Care Act 2022 to reduce inequalities.Free National Health Service sight tests and NHS optical vouchers, to help with the cost of glasses, are available for individuals on income-related benefits. Help may also be available through the NHS low-income scheme.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of travel distances on access to eye care services for residents in West Dorset constituency.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their areas to meet patient needs.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of NHS-funded optometry services in West Dorset constituency.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their areas to meet patient needs.

What plans his Department has to improve access to paediatric eye care services in West Dorset constituency.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their areas to meet patient needs.