The Westminster lensArchive · Written questions · 1,125 tabled · 1,069 answered

Written questions by Maguire.

Every parliamentary written question tabled by Helen Maguire this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.

Department:All (1,125)Department of Health and Social Care (363)Ministry of Defence (169)Department for Education (68)Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (67)Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (66)Department for Transport (62)Home Office (59)Department for Work and Pensions (56)Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (41)Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (40)Treasury (34)Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (25)

Showing 201220 of 363 · Department of Health and Social Care

← PreviousPage 11 of 19Next →
28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What steps is his Department taking to address (a) regional and (b) socioeconomic inequality in (i) maternal and (ii) perinatal outcomes.

Reply

On 23 June 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced a rapid, national, independent Investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care. The investigation will aim to identify the drivers and impacts of the inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care. The investigation will deliver interim recommendations in December 2025, ahead of further findings in spring 2026.A number of interventions specifically aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal inequalities are underway. These include the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, delivery of an inequalities dashboard and projects on removing racial bias from clinical education, and embedding genetic risk equity. Additionally, all local areas have published Equity and Equality action plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities as well as those living in the most deprived areas.To tackle the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity, we are introducing a Maternal Care Bundle to set clear standards across all services, focused on the main causes of maternal death and harm. Women from black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle will target these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme also supports the reduction of health inequalities by providing universal support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and parent-infant relationships from conception to two years old. Building on the £126 million investment for 2025/26, a further £500 million will enable Best Start Family Hubs to be rolled out to every local authority from April 2026.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

Whether he plans to allocate targeted capital funding to ensure that (a) maternity and (b) neonatal services can operate in (i) safe and (ii) fit-for-purpose buildings.

Reply

We recognise that maintaining and repairing our healthcare estate is a vital part of the Government’s ambition to create a National Health Service that is fit for purpose.As a first step towards improving our maternity and neonatal estate, we are investing £131 million through the 2025/26 Estates Safety Fund to address critical safety risks on the maternity estate, enabling safety and better care for mothers and their newborns. The funded works will delivery vital safety improvements, enhance patient and staff environments, and support NHS productivity by reducing disruptions across NHS clinical services. The Government is also backing the NHS with over £4 billion in operational capital in 2025/26, enabling systems to allocate funding to maternity and neonatal services where this is a local priority.In addition, £30 billion will be invested over the next five years in day-to-day maintenance and repair of the NHS estate, with over £5 billion specifically allocated to address the most critical building repairs, reducing the most serious and critical infrastructure risk in a targeted way.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

If his Department will (a) collected and (b) publish data on people diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in the upcoming NHS cancer plan.

Reply

The Department recognises the importance of robust and timely data on people diagnosed with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer to support service planning and improve outcomes.Work is already under way. NHS England commissioned clinical audits on metastatic breast cancer to increase the consistency of access to treatments. The National Audit of Metastatic (Secondary) Breast Cancer (NAoMe) results are based on data about people in England and Wales diagnosed and treated for metastatic breast cancer between January 2020 and December 2022. The Department and NHS England are now acting on the audit’s findings.The National Cancer Plan is due to be published in early 2026. We have received more than 11,000 responses to our Call for Evidence and have had significant ongoing engagement with patients, clinicians, and charities. The Department is working closely with NHS England and cancer registration and audit bodies to ensure that data on secondary breast cancer continues to be collected, analysed and, where appropriate, made publicly available in line with national data standards.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in the budgets for Integrated Care Boards on (a) specialist services for women and (b) Women’s health hubs.

Reply

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we are clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as scaling back integrated care board (ICB) running costs and National Health Service provider corporate cost reductions to reduce waste and bureaucracy.The Spending Review 2025 settlement provides an additional £29 billion of annual day-to-day spending in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24. We are now carefully reviewing how the settlement is prioritised.We are supporting ICBs to continue improving their delivery of women’s health hubs, in line with their responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of women in their local populations.We have heard from ICBs on the positive impacts that women’s health hubs have had on both women's access to care in the community and their experience. The Government is committed to encouraging ICBs to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women and girls.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

If his Department will commit to (a) quantifying and (b) modelling (i) current and (ii) future NHS workforce shortages in diagnostic and imaging services; and if his Department will commit to working with the sector to develop a plan to address these shortfalls, in the context of the development of the 10-year workforce plan.

Reply

The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026. This Plan will set out action to create a workforce able to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. It is important we do this in a robust and joined up way and so we are engaging extensively with partners and the sector to ensure this Plan delivers for staff and patients.Our call for evidence, due to close on 7 November 2025, is seeking evidence and views primarily from healthcare organisations and those with expertise in workforce planning to inform the development of the 10 Year Workforce Plan.We are already quantifying and modelling current and future workforce shortages in diagnostic imaging services through the work on the 10 Year Workforce Plan. This will provide an agreed position on current and future workforce gaps, and outline solutions for demand and supply optimisation to manage these.We are committed to expanding the diagnostics workforce in line with demand for skills and where pressures are greatest including ensuring there is sufficient workforce capacity in community diagnostic centres.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

If he will take steps to ensure that the forthcoming (a) Cancer Plan and (b) 10 Year Workforce Plan will include plans to ensure that the NHS have the necessary levels of staff to meet its targets for (i) diagnosing and (ii) treating breast cancer.

Reply

The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention, and research and innovation. This will also include how we can reform the workforce to improve cancer patient outcomes, including for patients with breast cancer.The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups. We are committed to working with partners to ensure the plan meets its aims and we will engage with independent experts to make sure the plan is ambitious, forward looking, and evidence based. To support this, the Department and NHS England will be engaging with key stakeholders to ensure that the needs of different patient groups, including patients with breast cancer, and relevant health professionals are reflected in this work.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What steps he is taking to support the (a) development and (b) expansion of Women’s Health Hubs; and what steps he is taking to work with Integrated Care Boards to encourage this.

Reply

We are supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to continue improving their delivery of women’s health hubs, in line with their responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of their local populations.We have heard from ICBs on the positive impacts that women’s health hubs have on both women's access to care in the community and their experience. The Government is committed to encouraging ICBs to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women and girls. NHS England have therefore asked ICBs to include them in their plans for 2025/26.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to moving towards a neighbourhood health service, with more care delivered in local communities, to identify and address problems earlier and closer to home. Women’s health hubs are an example of this approach and can play a key role in delivering the Government’s manifesto commitments on tackling long NHS waiting lists, as well as shifting care into the community.The 2022 Women’s Health Strategy identified many important issues which remain valid, so we now need to align the strategy with the 10-Year Health Plan and identify areas where we need to go further.We know that women deserve better, which is why we are updating the Women’s Health Strategy, to assess the progress that has been made so far and to continue progressing delivery.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

Whether the National Cancer Plan will support the faster diagnosis of teenagers and young adults with cancer.

Reply

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications. TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of psycho-oncology provision for teenagers and young adults with cancer.

Reply

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications. TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

If his Department will roll out a national education programme to inform women about menopause.

Reply

The Government recognises that women suffering from symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships and participation in the workplace.Our renewed strategy will set out how the Government will take the next steps to improve women's healthcare as part of the 10-Year Health Plan and create a system that listens to women. Steps to improve awareness of menopause symptoms are being fully considered as part of the renewal.We recently announced that menopause will be included in the NHS Health Check. This will mean eligible women can access high-quality information on menopause more easily, including information on managing symptoms, where to seek support, and treatment options. Mariella Frostrup has been appointed the Menopause Employment Ambassador. The Menopause Employment Ambassador works closely with employers across the country to improve workplace support for women experiencing the menopause, raise awareness of menopause symptoms and champion the economic contributions of women. With decades of experience championing women’s rights and gender equality across the world, Mariella Frostrup brings a powerful and unique voice to this agenda.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the National Cancer Plan for England provides age-appropriate information on the (a) signs and (b) symptoms of cancer for young people.

Reply

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications. TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

28 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the cancer service specifications for teenagers and young adults published in 2023 are (a) funded and (b) implemented as part of the National Cancer Plan.

Reply

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications. TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

27 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What steps his Department is taking to ensure NHS staff receive adequate training to (a) ask menopause questions and (b) support affected women in routine NHS health checks.

Reply

We will be working with experts, including general practitioners (GPs), over the coming months to co-design the menopause content for the NHS Health Check. The NHS Health Check Best Practice Guidance will be updated to reflect the addition of menopause, and it will be for local authority commissioners to implement this through their NHS Health Check providers and ensure that staff have adequate training. Support from the NHS Health Check will be tailored based on the individual and their own experiences and circumstances. Support may range from directing women to appropriate online resources with the right information, through to a GP appointment to assess the women’s symptoms further and identify how to best treat and manage them. This will mean eligible women can access high-quality information on menopause more easily.

27 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of supporting the (a) training and (b) deployment of UK health staff to Ukraine.

Reply

There are options for National Health Service staff to voluntarily provide healthcare support on a humanitarian basis and separately to their NHS duties. For example, humanitarian medical charities such as UK Med are active in Ukraine with NHS clinicians volunteering to provide life-saving medical aid to people affected by the conflict.Additionally, four NHS trusts have established partnerships with Ukrainian healthcare institutions under the International Medical Partnership initiative. These partnerships provide mutual learning and development opportunities for clinicians that will improve public health and patient experience in both the United Kingdom and Ukraine.

27 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of clinical medical cases relating to childbirth injuries on maternal mental health.

Reply

No such assessment has been made of the potential impact of clinical medical cases relating to childbirth injuries on maternal mental health. However, significant progress has been made across England in recent years to ensure women experiencing moderate to severe and/or complex perinatal mental health problems can access specialist perinatal mental health services. These services have expanded to provide care to women up to two years after birth, improve access to evidence-based psychological therapies, and provide a mental health assessment and signposting support for partners.

27 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What steps his Department is taking to support young people with their mental health.

Reply

Through our Plan for Change, the Government is expanding access to mental health support teams in all schools and colleges to reach all pupils by 2029/30, ensuring that every pupil has access to early support services. More widely, we are investing £26 million in new crisis centres, rolling out young futures hubs, and hiring 8,500 more mental health staff.

27 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of clinical trials available for brain cancer vaccines.

Reply

The Department is committed to turbocharging clinical research and delivering better patient care, to make the Untied Kingdom a world-leading destination for clinical research, including clinical trials for brain cancer vaccines.The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform set up to accelerate the development of cancer vaccines and speed up access to mRNA personalised cancer vaccine clinical trials for cancer patients. Any company that wishes to deliver trials via the platform, including those developing vaccines for brain tumours, can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.In addition, the Department funds research and research infrastructure across England, such as the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including on brain cancer.The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Private Members Bill. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials on brain cancer to take place in England, by ensuring the patient population can be more easily contacted by researchers.

27 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of ensuring people with (a) Huntington's disease and (b) other long-term neurological conditions have a single point of contact to coordinate their care.

Reply

More needs to be done to meet need on coordination of care for people with rare diseases, including Huntingdon’s disease, and work is underway to improve this.The revised NHS England Specialised Neurology Services (adults) specification 2025 outlines a comprehensive model of care for specialised neurology services, including for patients with Huntington’s disease. This outlines expectations of a system-wide approach, incorporating end-to-end pathways within an Integrated Neurology System, supporting more equitable and efficient care for people with long-term neurological diseases, including Huntington’s disease.Steps are being taken to improve coordination of care for all rare diseases as a priority under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. This includes research funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research to understand how to most cost-effectively improve care co-ordination to align to the needs of patients, which will report in 2026.

24 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of estimated pressures on the NHS in winter 2025-26 on A&E staff in Epsom and Ewell constituency; and what steps he is taking to support A&E staff in winter 2025-26.

Reply

The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is a top priority, including those working in accident and emergency. NHS organisations have a responsibility to create supportive working environments for staff, ensuring they have the conditions they need to thrive.The Urgent and Emergency Care plan for 2025/26 aims to learn the lessons from last winter and focuses on improvements that will see the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care performance this winter, helping to reduce the pressure on our hardworking frontline staff. Measures include: improved hospital flow; reduction in ambulance handovers; support discharge capacity planning; and reducing the average length of stay for patients requiring overnight emergency admission.Employers across the NHS have their own arrangements in place for supporting their staff including occupational health provision, employee support programmes and board level scrutiny through health and wellbeing guardians.At a national level, NHS England has made available additional support. This includes a focus on healthy working environments, tools and resources to support line managers to hold meaningful conversations with staff to discuss their wellbeing, and emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.

24 Oct 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

How many people aged between (a) 60 and 70, (b) 70 and 80, (c) 80 and 90 and (d) 90 and 100 were admitted to hospital in (i) England and (ii) Surrey in 2024.

Reply

NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions, which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-accident--emergency-activityTo show admission data by age, finished consultant episodes (FCEs) have been used as a proxy for the number of admissions.The information requested for Surrey is collected at integrated care board (ICB) level. Therefore, the total number of FCEs in Surrey was generated by adding the FCEs of the two Surrey ICBs, namely Frimley and Surrey Heartlands.The following table shows the number of hospital FCEs for each category for 2024/25 as the information is not available for the calendar year:Age bandsEnglandNHS FRIMLEY ICBNHS SURREY HEARTLANDS ICBSurrey ICBs Total60-693,456,53733,87056,86590,73570-794,190,01141,98072,905114,88580-893,126,02534,65561,56596,22090 and over809,5459,79518,75028,545Source: NHS England Digital

← PreviousPage 11 of 19Next →
Sources
SourceUK Parliament Members API
MethodQuestion and answer text as published. Question preamble (“To ask the…”) trimmed for readability; answers shown in full.