Every parliamentary written question tabled by Edward Morello this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 101–120 of 397 · Department of Health and Social Care
If he will make it her policy to allocate additional funding to support the recruitment and retention of NHS dentists in the Autumn Budget 2025.
The budget for Autumn 2025 has not yet been announced, however access to National Health Service dentistry and addressing the issue of under-served areas remains a priority for the Government.
What comparative assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) home-based and (b) residential care on the finances of people receiving that care.
Under the Care Act 2014 charging is based on a number of principles, including that people should not be charged more than it is reasonably practicable for them to pay and that charging approaches should be clear, transparent, and comprehensive.Charging rules can differ between home-based and residential care. For home-based care, the person’s main home is disregarded, and income must not fall below the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG). For residential care, the home’s value may be considered unless a spouse or other eligible adult remains living there, and income must not fall below the Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA). Both the MIG and PEA rates are reviewed annually and published in the Local Authority Circular. For 2025/26, these allowances were increased in line with consumer price index inflation, and local authorities may set higher rates at their discretion.
If he will allocate funding to support mental health provision in rural communities in the Autumn Budget 2025.
We know that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we recognise that people living in rural communities may face particular challenges in accessing the mental health services they need. For 2025/26, mental health spending is forecast to amount to £15.6 billion. This represents a significant uplift of £688 million in real terms spending on mental health compared to the previous financial year.Following publication by NHS England of the Medium Term Planning Framework on 24 October 2025, details of funding arrangements, including integrated care board allocations over the next three years, will be set out across revenue finance and contracting guidance, capital guidance, and published allocations in due course.
If he will make it his policy to introduce a taper for the upper capital limit for savings used to determine eligibility for free social care.
The current adult social care system is means tested and provides funded support for those with the least financial means. Individuals can approach their local authority for a financial assessment to determine their eligibility for support.Under the Care Act 2014, charging is based on a number of principles, including that people should not be charged more than it is reasonably practicable for them to pay. The means test thresholds for support with adult social care costs continue to be reviewed annually.The Government remains committed to reforming adult social care and we have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including considering the affordability of care costs, if she sees fit.
If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of using different means tests for residential and home-based care on people with modest savings and significant care needs.
The current adult social care system is means tested and provides funded support for those with the least financial means. Individuals can approach their local authority for a financial assessment to determine whether they are eligible. While the Department sets the minimum thresholds for this means test, local authorities have the discretion to set higher thresholds if they choose.Where an individual receives care at home, the value of their home is not considered during this financial assessment.Where local authorities choose to charge for care, they must follow the Care Act 2014, and must ensure that care charges are both transparent and affordable.The Government remains committed to reforming adult social care and we have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including considering the affordability of care costs, if she sees fit.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the current care funding framework on people with dementia who want to remain at home.
Adult social care is part of our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service that shifts care from hospitals to communities, with more personalised, proactive, and joined-up health and care services that help people stay independent for as long as possible.We are empowering people and giving them more choice and control over their care, for instance by promoting greater use of direct payments. We are also expanding care options to boost independent living at home through an additional £172 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant over two years, enabling approximately 15,600 extra home adaptations, and are introducing care technology standards to help people choose the right support.This year's Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements.The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
Whether he plans to introduce a minimum service guarantee for people funding their own care through their pensions.
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 commissioning a diverse range of care and support services that enable people to access quality care, including those funding their own care. We are progressing towards a National Care Service based on higher standards, more choice and control, and better joined up services, which will improve the quality of services for people. To build consensus on plans for a National Care Service, Baroness Casey is chairing an independent commission to shape the medium- and longer-term reforms needed. The independent commission has launched a new portal on their website and invited members of the public, people drawing on care and support, and organisations to submit evidence and to share their stories and ideas for improving the adult social care system.
What steps he is taking to ensure rehabilitation pathways reflect the differing needs of stroke survivors.
The National Health Service’s integrated community stroke service model (ICSS) describes stroke services that are integrated, specialist, responsive, and of sufficient intensity to meet the needs of the patient. There are three discharge pathways described in the model: to home with no social care required; to home with social care support; and discharge to a care home, which may be considered as a step-down bed. All pathways have access to needs-led rehabilitation. Integrated care boards are responsible for the commissioning of the ICSS.
What assessment he has made of the trends in the level of wages for general practice nurses.
As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to general practitioners how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. Employers have the flexibility to set terms and conditions, for example to aid recruitment and retention, and we anticipate that good employers would set wage rates that reflect the skills and experience of their staff.
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) benefits and (b) conditions for general practice nursing staff.
As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to general practices (GPs) how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on practices with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions. Employers have the flexibility to set terms and conditions, for example to aid recruitment and retention, and we anticipate that good employers would set wage rates that reflect the skills and experience of their staff.
If he will make it her policy to allocate resources in the Autumn Budget 2025 to support the recruitment and retention of NHS dentists in West Dorset.
The 2025 Autumn Budget has not yet been announced, however access to National Health Service dentistry and addressing the issue of under-served areas remains a priority for the Government.
Whether he plans to introduce a dedicated mechanism to fund pay increases for practice nurses and other non-doctor staff employed by GP practices.
General practices are independent businesses contracted to provide National Health Service services. As self-employed contractors to the NHS, it is for GP practices to determine uplifts in pay for their employees.We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025-26, the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole. The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay. As with last year, we have accepted the DDRB’s pay recommendation and have uplifted the pay elements of the GP contract by 4% on a consolidated basis (an increase of 1.2% on top of the 2.8% interim uplift in April). Funding for these awards will be backdated to April 2025. We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they are receiving.
Whether he plans to ensure that there is nursing representation in national negotiations on primary care (a) funding and (b) workforce planning.
We have always valued input from a range of stakeholders on the future of general practice, including on funding and workforce planning, and we would be happy to continue to engage with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on this, as we have done in previous pre-consultation engagement exercises.The Government is committed to ensuring the general practice nursing workforce is sustainable, supported and valued for the work they do. Good staff experience is crucial in ensuring the National Health Service is able to recruit and retain staff and its importance is recognised and illustrated in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan.We will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan which will ensure that staff will be better treated and have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so they can achieve more. A formal call for evidence has been launched, which will provide stakeholders the opportunity to contribute directly to the Plan’s development.
If he will take steps to ensure parity between pay awards for (a) practice nurses, (b) other primary care staff and (c) staff whose pay is determined by national NHS pay review bodies.
As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to GP practices how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. General practice contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GP practices with regard to general practice nurse (GPN) terms and conditions. Employers have the flexibility to set terms and conditions, for example to aid recruitment and retention, and we anticipate good employers would set wage rates that reflect the skills and experience of their staff.The Government looks to the independent pay review bodies for a pay recommendation for NHS staff, including both contractor and salaried general practitioners (GPs). They consider a range of evidence from organisations including the Government, the NHS and trade unions to reach their recommendations.As different NHS and primary care staff groups do not all sit under the remit of one pay review body, the Government can receive different pay award recommendations for different groups. The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) have recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay for 2025-26. To implement this through the GP contract, as the DDRB’s recommendation was higher than the assumed pay growth of 2.8%, we have provided a 1.2% top-up to the pay elements of the contract on a consolidated basis.We have provided an increase to core funding for practices to allow this 4% pay uplift to be passed on to salaried and contractor GPs. The additional funding will also allow for pay uplifts for other salaried general practice staff, including nurses.We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they have received.
If he will ringfence funding for general practice nursing pay in line with the NHS Agenda for Change.
As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to general practices (GPs) how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. Funding for GP nursing pay is not ringfenced and contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GPs with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions.The Government looks to the independent pay review bodies for a pay recommendation for NHS staff, including both contractor and salaried GPs. They consider a range of evidence from organisations including the Government, the NHS, and trade unions to reach their recommendations.The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) has recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay for 2025/26. We have provided an increase to core funding for practices to allow this 4% pay uplift to be passed on to salaried and contractor GPs. The additional funding is also intended to provide uplifts for other salaried GP staff, including nurses.We expect GP contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they have received.The Government has committed to a new substantive GP Contract within this Parliament, and we will continue to engage constructively with the General Practitioners Committee England on issues such as staffing. The maximum reimbursable amounts for roles employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), including practice nurses, have also been uplifted in line with the NHS Pay Review Body’s recommendations, and ARRS budgets have been increased to reflect this.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of preventing the NHS Business Services Authority from withholding funding for staff payments where a community pharmacy owes significant money.
Pharmacies are private businesses. The National Health Service Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) pays all pharmacy contractors as set out in the Drug Tariff and based on the activity they declare which is then reconciled at a later stage to ensure that the total payment accurately reflects the prescriptions dispensed and the work done.The NHSBSA does not normally withhold funding from pharmacies unless there are good reasons to do so. If pharmacies do not give an accurate declaration of their activity, this can result in an overpayment which the NHSBSA recovers from future payments in line with the Managing Public Money guidance. This reduces the risk of financial loss to the NHS.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of GP contract uplifts on the ability of practices to fund pay rises for (a) practice nurses and (b) other non-doctor staff.
We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025-26, the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole. The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay. As with last year, we have accepted the DDRB’s pay recommendation and have uplifted the pay elements of the GP contract by 4% on a consolidated basis (an increase of 1.2% on top of the 2.8% interim uplift in April). Funding for these awards will be backdated to April 2025. We expect General Practice Contractors to implement pay rises to other practice staff in line with the uplift in funding they are receiving. As self-employed contractors to the NHS, it is for GP practices to determine uplifts in pay for their employees.
If he will align the terms and conditions for general practice nurses with those in the Agenda for Change.
As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to general practices (GPs) how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GPs with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions. Employers have the flexibility to set terms and conditions, for example to aid recruitment and retention, and we anticipate good employers would set wage rates that reflect the skills and experience of their staff.A letter was distributed to practices earlier this year recommending that practices pass on additional funding to uplift pay for salaried staff.
What steps he is taking to improve (a) job security and (b) employment conditions for general practice nurses.
The Government is committed to ensuring that the general practice (GP) nursing workforce is sustainable, supported, and valued for the work they do.Good staff experience is crucial in ensuring that the National Health Service is able to recruit and retain staff, and its importance is recognised and illustrated in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan. Later this year we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure that staff will be better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.As self-employed contractors to the NHS it is up to GPs how they distribute pay and benefits to their staff. GP contractual arrangements do not place any specific obligations on GPs with regard to GP nurse terms and conditions. A letter was distributed to practices earlier this year recommending that practices pass on additional funding to uplift pay for salaried staff.
Whether his Department plans to provide funding to the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery after June 2026.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery was originally awarded over £6.9 million 2017 with further funding of £7 million awarded in 2021 to establish a Global Surgery Network. The latest funding contract ends in June 2026. We encourage members to look out for and apply for future NIHR funding opportunities to build upon their strong foundations and continue to drive an evidence-informed approach to surgery. Applications to NIHR funding schemes are subject to peer review and judged in open competition. The Department and NIHR continue to recognise the critical importance of global health research to drive the health and well-being of the poorest and most vulnerable.