Written questions by Morello.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of research on the long-term effects of covid-19 on his Department's public health strategies.

In October 2024, the Department hosted a roundtable on long COVID research with the Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Lucy Chappell, discussing the relevance of the research to other post-viral syndromes and strategies to stimulate further research in the scientific community.The Department regularly reviews evidence on the health and economic impact of diseases and conditions. Where appropriate, this evidence is used to produce impact assessments which inform the development of new policies to address the needs of the population.The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR and the Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation, remain committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment for long COVID.Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, through the NIHR and the MRC, we have invested over £57 million on research into long COVID, with almost £40 million of this through two specific research calls on long COVID. The funded projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical care.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing dental apprenticeships on shortages of dental professionals in each region.

Ministers regularly meet with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues.Dental apprenticeships are available for roles such as dental nurses and technicians but are not available to become a qualified dentist. These apprenticeships provide skills and experience, combining work-based training with a degree.We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions. A core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential merits of introducing dental apprenticeships as a pathway to becoming a qualified dentist.

Ministers regularly meet with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues.Dental apprenticeships are available for roles such as dental nurses and technicians but are not available to become a qualified dentist. These apprenticeships provide skills and experience, combining work-based training with a degree.We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions. A core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

What steps his Department is taking to help support the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board to provide adequate earwax removal services.

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.

What steps his Department is taking to support Integrated Care Boards to provide earwax removal services.

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.

What steps he is taking to ensure that funds allocated for resident care in retirement homes are used for the purpose intended.

To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government has made available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant. Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population.To ensure local authorities are fulfilling their duties for care users, including care home residents, under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assess local authorities' delivery of their adult social care duties. If the CQC identifies that a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act 2014 to an acceptable standard, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has powers to intervene.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of staff turnover on the quality of care in retirement homes.

The Department continues to monitor adult social care (ASC) workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool which collates data from all ASC providers regulated by the Care Quality Commission and intelligence from key sector partners.With high rates of turnover and recruitment challenges, the ASC sector faces significant workforce challenges. In April 2025, we expanded the Care Workforce Pathway, the first ever universal career structure for the ASC workforce in England, and we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the ASC sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do. This will help to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector; in turn supporting the delivery of high-quality care. We have also launched an independent commission into social care as part of first steps towards a National Care Service.

What steps he plans to take to help improve (a) the delivery and (b) standards of patient care in dental practices following the dissolution of NHS England in 2027.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 April 2025 to Question 46592.

What steps he plans to take to improve (a) service delivery and (b) patient care standards in community pharmacies after the abolition of NHS England.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the NHS, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.All services delivered within a community pharmacy are delivered under the supervision of a pharmacist, who are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The GPhC is the independent regulator of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and registered pharmacy premises in Great Britain, and will remain unaffected by any changes to NHS England. GPhC sets standards for the education and training of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy support staff. They inspect pharmacies to ensure standards are met and act if there are concerns about a registered pharmacy or pharmacy professional.

What steps he plans to take to improve (a) service delivery and (b) patient care standards in GP practices after the abolition of NHS England.

The Government is working with the National Health Service to fix the front door of our health service and ensure everyone can access general practice (GP) services, and since October 2024, we have recruited over 1,500 more GPs through an £82 million funding boost. We will make sure the future of GPs is sustainable by training thousands more GPs, guaranteeing a face-to-face appointment for all those who want one and delivering a modern booking system.We will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds and will work collaboratively to put plans in place to ensure continuity of care, so that there are no risks to patient safety.

What steps he plans to take to ensure that GPs continue to receive (a) funding and (b) support following the dissolution of NHS England.

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.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) service delivery and (b) patient care standards are maintained in community pharmacies following the dissolution of NHS England.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the NHS, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.All services delivered within a community pharmacy are delivered under the supervision of a pharmacist who are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The GPhC is the independent regulator of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and registered pharmacy premises in Great Britain, and will remain unaffected by any changes to NHS England. GPhC sets standards for the education and training of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy support staff, inspects pharmacies to ensure standards are met and acts if there are concerns about a registered pharmacy or pharmacy professional.

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.

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.

What guidance his Department provides to general practitioners on the provision of ear wax removal services to patients in West Dorset constituency.

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.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the provision of NHS ear wax removal services in West Dorset constituency.

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.

Whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland on equitable access to abiraterone acetate for high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer patients.

Decisions on the availability of medicines in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved administrations.

Whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has had discussions with its counterparts in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, and (c) Northern Ireland on recommending abiraterone acetate for NHS patients with high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer.

Decisions on the availability of medicines in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved administrations.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of working with local authorities to facilitate the (a) collection and (b) redistribution of (i) Zimmer frames, (ii) walking sticks and (iii) other used medical equipment.

As set out in the Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service report, published in October 2020, the NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, including by improving resilience and increasing the reuse, remanufacture, and recycling of medical equipment.In October 2024, the Government published the Design for Life roadmap, a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products and towards a functioning circular system by 2045. The programme is expected to build on examples of where NHS organisations are already achieving cost, waste, and carbon savings through reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling medical devices and equipment, in line with their local Green Plans.NHS England continues to work to expand locally managed walking aid refurbishment and reuse schemes, which include crutches, frames, and walking sticks, and savings from implementing these schemes are estimated at up to £46,000 a year per hospital, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with potential carbon savings estimated at 7.4kt of CO2e per annum.A range of resources and communication tools are available to support NHS trusts and patients with returns, and these include the Walking Aids Reuse How-to Guide and the Walking Aids page on the Recycle Now website, which shows the nearest drop off location by postcode, with 272 drop off locations in total, including 72 recycling centres that have been established through close working with local authority partners.

What steps his Department is taking to help promote the (a) recycling and (b) reuse of (i) Zimmer frames, (ii) walking sticks and (iii) other medical equipment within the NHS.

As set out in the Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service report, published in October 2020, the NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, including by improving resilience and increasing the reuse, remanufacture, and recycling of medical equipment.In October 2024, the Government published the Design for Life roadmap, a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products and towards a functioning circular system by 2045. The programme is expected to build on examples of where NHS organisations are already achieving cost, waste, and carbon savings through reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling medical devices and equipment, in line with their local Green Plans.NHS England continues to work to expand locally managed walking aid refurbishment and reuse schemes, which include crutches, frames, and walking sticks, and savings from implementing these schemes are estimated at up to £46,000 a year per hospital, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with potential carbon savings estimated at 7.4kt of CO2e per annum.A range of resources and communication tools are available to support NHS trusts and patients with returns, and these include the Walking Aids Reuse How-to Guide and the Walking Aids page on the Recycle Now website, which shows the nearest drop off location by postcode, with 272 drop off locations in total, including 72 recycling centres that have been established through close working with local authority partners.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential (a) environmental and (b) financial merits of implementing nationwide recycling programmes for durable medical equipment.

As set out in the Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service report, published in October 2020, the NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, including by improving resilience and increasing the reuse, remanufacture, and recycling of medical equipment.In October 2024, the Government published the Design for Life roadmap, a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products and towards a functioning circular system by 2045. The programme is expected to build on examples of where NHS organisations are already achieving cost, waste, and carbon savings through reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling medical devices and equipment, in line with their local Green Plans.NHS England continues to work to expand locally managed walking aid refurbishment and reuse schemes, which include crutches, frames, and walking sticks, and savings from implementing these schemes are estimated at up to £46,000 a year per hospital, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with potential carbon savings estimated at 7.4kt of CO2e per annum.A range of resources and communication tools are available to support NHS trusts and patients with returns, and these include the Walking Aids Reuse How-to Guide and the Walking Aids page on the Recycle Now website, which shows the nearest drop off location by postcode, with 272 drop off locations in total, including 72 recycling centres that have been established through close working with local authority partners.