Written questions by Morris.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the funding for statutory gambling levy harms-related programme from April 2026 on treatment providers; and what specific steps his Department is taking to (a) support those providers with workforce retention, (b) help reduce the potential impact of the time taken to implement that programme and (c) help ensure the quality of treatment.

In April 2025, the new statutory levy on gambling operators came into effect to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harm. NHS England and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) are working collaboratively on the development of their respective gambling treatment and prevention programmes in England during this transition period.To maintain continuity, commissioners are working with GambleAware on a managed transition, which includes the extension of GambleAware’s system stabilisation funding until March 2026, ensuring existing charities can continue to support people seeking help.National Health Service regional gambling services currently receive over 1,000 referrals each quarter, with plans to extend capacity.NHS England is working at pace to develop a grant funding scheme for voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) treatment and support services. This will ensure that that those affected by gambling-related harms can continue to access much-needed third sector services, whilst integrated care boards look to implement longer-term commissioning arrangements.Ultimately, the shift to NHS and VCSE gambling harms services having a shared commissioner will allow for improved access to services, greater integration of pathways, and better data sharing, positively impacting patient care.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Drugs, Alcohol & Justice APPG entitled Action on Alcohol Harm – Priorities for Policymakers, published on 10 July 2025.

The Department has noted the publication of the Drugs, Alcohol & Justice APPG report, ‘Action on alcohol harm: prioritise for policymakers’.The Government is committed to taking action to prevent the harms caused by alcohol and illicit drugs, and work is underway to progress several of the priorities highlighted.To support better outcomes for people experiencing harmful and dependent drinking, we will shortly publish the first ever United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment. Furthermore, in 2025/26, in addition to the Public Health Grant, the Department is providing a total of £310 million in targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol treatment services and recovery support, including housing, employment and inpatient detoxification. Our 10-Year Health Plan commits to continued expansion of Individual Placement and Support schemes for people with alcohol addiction to find good work.The Government is also progressing plan to introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of specialist residential drug and alcohol treatment in (a) England and (b) the North East.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, including residential treatment, and commissioning services to meet these needs. The Department set an ambition that 2% of the drug and alcohol treatment population should be accessing residential treatment. We remain committed to this ambition and continue to work with the sector to achieve this.Earlier this year, the Department launched the self-assessment toolkit to help local areas to improve the residential drug and alcohol treatment that they commission, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/residential-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-self-assessment-toolkitThe Department facilitates a residential treatment provider forum and engages in annual planning for local authorities and partners, including target-setting for residential episodes. The Department also maintains regular engagement with the English Substance Use Commissioners Group and holds joint meetings with the Ministry of Justice to explore improved pathways from the criminal justice system into residential treatment.In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26 the Government is providing the North East with £29,432,782 in further targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services. This additional funding has provided opportunity for local authorities in the North East to enhance access to out of area facilities and bolster community models of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery support, including quasi residential rehabilitation and dayhab models.

What recent assessment his Department made of the potential barriers that prevent disabled people from accessing lifesaving medical equipment.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population, and responsibility for providing medical equipment to disabled people typically falls to the National Health Service and local authorities.We expect ICBs to follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). In 2022, NICE published relevant guidance in relation to children, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng213/chapter/Recommendations-on-service-organisation-integration-and-commissioningLocal authorities in England have a statutory duty, including under the Care Act 2014, to make arrangements for the provision of disability aids and community equipment to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area. Responsibility for managing the market for these services, including commissioning and oversight of delivery, rests with local authorities.More broadly, the Government wants disabled people’s access to, and experience of, healthcare services to be equitable, effective, and responsive to their needs. Our 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out to tackle health inequalities, and specifically identifies disabled people as a priority group for neighbourhood health teams, which will offer more holistic on-going support.

What steps he is taking to ensure that (a) divers and (b) other emergency patients in the North East have access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy within clinically recommended times after October 2025.

NHS England is committed to ensuring equitably accessible, high-quality services, for anyone who requires hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This will be achieved through the commissioning of six geographically dispersed services across England. Three preferred providers have been identified to date, and a further procurement exercise will take place to identify the three remaining centres.The contract for HBOT services, also known as recompression, was reviewed in 2024, as existing contract terms expired. This included an update of the service specification using the published full methods process, and a public consultation on the proposal to reduce the number of commissioned providers in England from eight to six centres. Further information on the service specification, the published full methods process, and the consultation is available, respectively, at the following three links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-services-all-ages-Service-specification-January-2025.pdfhttps://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/methods-national-service-specifications/https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/reviewing-hyperbaric-oxygen-services-consultation-guide/#:~:text=Background-,Background,Manual%20of%20Prescribed%20Specialised%20ServicesThe updates to the specification seek to ensure timely access to treatment for the most acutely unwell patients with the specification requiring:the delivery of care that is integrated with other services, including the emergency department, critical care, and other healthcare professionals as required; andfacilities should be capable of receiving patients in any diagnostic category who may require advanced life support either immediately or during HBOT.The geographical scope of the six services will ensure that there are no more than four hours travelling time by road from coastal locations, from the furthest borders, or between neighbouring commissioned HBOT centres, which is in line with good practice guidelines. The published Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment sets out an evaluation, including access to services and where appropriate action was taken to ensure fair access to any patient who requires this service. Further information on the Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2.1-Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-equality-and-health-inequalities-impact-assessment.pdf

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of removing hyperbaric oxygen therapy services from the North East on (a) Levels of patient safety and (b) treatment outcomes.

NHS England has not decided to remove hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) services in the North East.Due to current contract terms expiring, NHS England conducted a re-procurement of the service in line with Provider Selection Regime regulations. NHS England was only able to award contracts that met the quality requirements of the tender. The Intention to Award Notice, issued on 14 May 2025, confirmed that NHS England was only able to award three of the six available lots. For those lots where no preferred provider was identified, including the North-East, a further procurement exercise will take place. Interim contract arrangements will be put in place in these areas to ensure continued service provision in line with the commissioning intentions of equitably accessible, high-quality care for any patient who requires HBOT. The intention to award notice is available at the following link:https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021325-2025?origin=SearchResults&p=1The geographical scope of the six services will ensure that there are no more than four hours travelling time by road from coastal locations, from the furthest borders, or between neighbouring commissioned HBOT centres, which is in line with the optimal time to treatment set out in good practice guidelines. Further information on the configuration of service modelling can be found in the published public consultation documents, available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/reviewing-hyperbaric-oxygen-services-consultation-guide/The published Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment, which sets out the evaluation of the impact of the changes on access to services, is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2.1-Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-equality-and-health-inequalities-impact-assessment.pdf

What steps NHS England took to consult with(a) diving organisations, (b) local health trusts and (c) emergency services in the North East it decided to decommission hyperbaric chamber services in the north of England.

NHS England has not decided to decommission hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) services in the North of England.NHS England undertook stakeholder testing and a public consultation on the revised service specification for HBOT services. The main impact of the proposals was the reconfiguration of the number of commissioned HBOT centres in England, from eight centres to six.The review was led by the chair of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Clinical Reference Group and the lead commissioner for the service, and was supported by a Specification Working Group (SWG). Membership of the SWG included a patient representative, clinical leads from current commissioned providers, consultants in public health, and members of the British Hyperbaric Association. Specialist advice was sought on relevant inter-dependent services including adult critical care, HM Coastguard, adult critical care transfer services, and children’s services.Stakeholder testing on the revised service specification took place from 8 June 2024 to 25 June 2024. 14 responses were received, six of which were on behalf of organisations and eight from individuals. Public consultation was carried out from 13 September to 12 October 2024. A total of 923 individuals responded to the public consultation, from across all regions and devolved nations of the United Kingdom.NHS England actively encourages individuals and organisations to register as stakeholders to ensure a full range of views are included in any service developments. Stakeholders can register their interest in services commissioned by NHS England on their website, which includes a special interest group for HBOT.Any individuals or organisations who sign up are kept informed when NHS England engages on potential changes to the way that these services are commissioned. NHS England also encourages stakeholders to cascade invitations to provide feedback across their networks.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure timely access to emergency hyperbaric oxygen therapy for patients in the North East.

NHS England is committed to ensuring equitably accessible, high-quality services, for anyone who requires hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This will be achieved through the commissioning of six geographically dispersed services across England. Three preferred providers have been identified to date, and a further procurement exercise will take place to identify the three remaining centres.The contract for HBOT services, also known as recompression, was reviewed in 2024, as existing contract terms expired. This included an update of the service specification using the published full methods process, and a public consultation on the proposal to reduce the number of commissioned providers in England from eight to six centres. Further information on the service specification, the published full methods process, and the consultation is available, respectively, at the following three links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-services-all-ages-Service-specification-January-2025.pdfhttps://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/methods-national-service-specifications/https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/reviewing-hyperbaric-oxygen-services-consultation-guide/#:~:text=Background-,Background,Manual%20of%20Prescribed%20Specialised%20ServicesThe updates to the specification seek to ensure timely access to treatment for the most acutely unwell patients with the specification requiring:the delivery of care that is integrated with other services, including the emergency department, critical care, and other healthcare professionals as required; andfacilities should be capable of receiving patients in any diagnostic category who may require advanced life support either immediately or during HBOT.The geographical scope of the six services will ensure that there are no more than four hours travelling time by road from coastal locations, from the furthest borders, or between neighbouring commissioned HBOT centres, which is in line with good practice guidelines. The published Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment sets out an evaluation, including access to services and where appropriate action was taken to ensure fair access to any patient who requires this service. Further information on the Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2.1-Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-equality-and-health-inequalities-impact-assessment.pdf

How many newly qualified nurses were employed in the NHS as a band 5 nurse after six months of being a qualified in (a) 2024, (b) 2023 and (c) 2022 .

The Department does not hold the information requested.

If he will make it his policy for newly qualified nurses to be guaranteed a job in the NHS.

Decisions on the employment of newly qualified nurses are a matter for individual National Health service trusts, which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.We are working closely with NHS England, employers, and educators to ensure support is in place to help graduating nurses transition into the workforce.

How many nurses qualified to work in the NHS (a) 2024, (b) 2023 and (c) 2022.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) publishes information on the number of nurses joining their register for the first time, who are resident in England. It is important to note that newly registered nurses may choose to work in a range of settings, including National Health Service trusts, private or third sector bodies, who may undertake NHS work, or social care settings. The following table shows the number of nurses joining the NMC register in England for the first time by financial year: Financial yearNumber of registered nurses joining the NMC register for the first time in England2022/2324,1082023/2428,0492024/2529,210Source: Nursing and Midwifery Council, March 2025 Annual Data Report, available at the following link:https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/reports-and-accounts/registration-statistics/The information may slightly undercount first time register joiners in England as it is based on the address registered with the NMC.

How many newly qualified nurses were employed in the NHS as a band 5 nurse after three months of being a qualified in (a) 2024, (b) 2023 and (c) 2022.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

How many band 5 nurse roles were advertised for external applicants in (a) 2024, (b) 2023 and (c) 2022.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

How many band 5 nurse role were advertised for internal applicants in (a) 2024, (b) 2023 and (c) 2022.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists entitled Co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, published on 13 May 2025.

The Government is committed to supporting more cohesive and joined-up care between mental health services and substance use services, to ensure people no longer fall through the gaps of treatment.We know that, between 2023 and 2024, 72% of people starting drug and alcohol treatment also had a mental health treatment need. Furthermore, approximately 30 to 50% of people with serious mental illness have co-existing drug or alcohol use conditions. However, as the Royal College of Psychiatry’s report highlights, too often, people with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs do not receive the joined up, person-centred care they require and deserve.In response to this, the Department and NHS England are finalising the Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Action Plan. In developing this plan, NHS England and the Department have worked with subject matter experts, including people with lived experience, academics, clinicians, and service providers, to set out a path to improving service provision for those with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs.The action plan will build on current structures and initiatives such the Commissioning Quality Standard published in 2022. This standard provides guidance for drug and alcohol treatment commissioners on improving services for people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol or drug conditions and how local services need to work together so that people can access the help they need.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for mental health treatment services.

The Government is delivering new and innovative models of care in the community. We have launched six neighbourhood adult mental health centres that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to bring together community, crisis, and inpatient care.NHS England’s Planning Guidance for 2025/26 makes clear that for this year, to support reform and improvements, we expect all providers to reduce the variation in children and young people accessing services and improve productivity.We are also improving data quality so we can support providers in understanding demand across their areas. Since July 2023, NHS England has included waiting times metrics for referrals to urgent and community-based mental health services in its monthly mental health statistics publication, to help services target the longest waits.Our 10-Year Health Plan will inform the future vision and delivery plan for mental health services in England. Earlier intervention remains a key focus of the plan, with the aim of reducing pressure on mental health services.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 47191 on Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment, if he will ensure that trusts outside of (a) London and (b) the South East are prioritised for future funding (i) to replace radiotherapy equipment and (ii) for additional radiotherapy treatment.

NHS England wrote to all radiotherapy treatment providers, including those outside of London and the South East, inviting them to apply for funding to replace ageing radiotherapy machines.To help to address accessibility to radiotherapy, the Department has allocated £70 million in funding for 28 new radiotherapy machines to trusts across the country to replace outdated machines, 18 of which are located outside of London and the South East of England.All future spending commitments beyond 2025/26 will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process, which will conclude in June.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 41044 on Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment, whether there is funding remaining for hospital trusts wishing to submit late applications for radiotherapy equipment.

The bidding round has been completed and there are no plans to accept further applications.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 41044, what was the criteria for the award of this funding to NHS foundation trusts.

In 2024/25, we prioritised funding for a small number of trusts to replace the most aged radiotherapy equipment. Funding was allocated based on the age of the equipment to be replaced, replacement machine availability, and the trust’s ability to take delivery and pay for the equipment by 31 March 25.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 41043, what the criteria was for these funding awards to NHS foundation trusts.

Funding was allocated to trusts using criteria that NHS England developed. These criteria focused on the age of the machine being replaced, the proportion of older machines in use within the trust, and the trust’s performance on radiotherapy.