Written questions by Maguire.

With reference to his Department's press release of 21 February 2025 entitled Dental patients to benefit from 700,000 extra urgent appointments, how many of the additional urgent care appointments were purchased in 2025 by integrated care board.

The following table shows the number of National Health Service urgent treatments delivered each year between 2020/21 and 2024/25:Financial yearNumber of urgent dental treatments delivered2024/253,658,2732023/243,674,7102022/233,785,9522021/223,819,2262020/213,646,868Source: NHS Business Services Authority, Dental statistics - England 2024/25, avaiable at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425 Comparable monthly data on the number of urgent dental appointments delivered is not published. We have asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.Appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. The Surrey Heartlands ICB, which includes the Epsom and Ewell constituency, has been asked to deliver 6,585 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.Data on delivery of urgent dental care, including additional delivery, will be published annually as part of the NHS Dental Statistics England Official Statistics series. These statistics are released each August and are the primary source of data on the delivery of NHS dental care.

How many urgent dental appointments were delivered each year from 2020 up to and including 2025.

The following table shows the number of National Health Service urgent treatments delivered each year between 2020/21 and 2024/25:Financial yearNumber of urgent dental treatments delivered2024/253,658,2732023/243,674,7102022/233,785,9522021/223,819,2262020/213,646,868Source: NHS Business Services Authority, Dental statistics - England 2024/25, available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425 Comparable monthly data on the number of urgent dental appointments delivered is not published. We have asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.Appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. The Surrey Heartlands ICB, which includes the Epsom and Ewell constituency, has been asked to deliver 6,585 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.Data on delivery of urgent dental care, including additional delivery, will be published annually as part of the NHS Dental Statistics England Official Statistics series. These statistics are released each August and are the primary source of data on the delivery of NHS dental care.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure people with learning disabilities receive screenings for cervical cancer.

The Government is committed to its ambition to change the National Health Service so that it diagnoses earlier and treats faster. The NHS Cervical Screening Programme plays a vital role in this. Across the NHS, local systems and partnerships are working together to find ways to make cervical screening more accessible for people with a learning disability.Following the launch of the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard, NHS England is considering the role this digital flag has in further personalisation in the programme.Reasonable adjustments can include:a longer or double appointment;information in other languages or formats, or an interpreter;a chaperone in the room; and/oran appointment with a trusted doctor or nurse who the individual already has a good relationship with.Additionally, in early 2026, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme will be offering a self-testing kit to under-screened women, starting with those who are the most overdue for screening. This will help tackle deeply entrenched barriers that keep some away from screening.

What steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of digitalised the Learning Disability Health Passport across ICBs.

NHS England published guidance in June 2024 on health and care passports, which are designed to provide health and social care professionals with essential information about people with a learning disability and other disabled people to ensure appropriate care and treatment. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/health-and-care-passports/The guidance makes clear that the passport can be in a physical or digital form, or a combination of formats, and that embedding the passport should take account of local population needs, local digital strategies, and reasonable adjustments.The National Health Service is working towards a digitally enabled health and social care system to allow information to flow between IT systems, care providers, and settings. However, there remains a significant digital inclusion gap for people with a disability, so digital approaches must remain inclusive and avoid excluding those experiencing digital poverty.Local systems are therefore encouraged to make both paper and digital versions of the passport available, and to explore ways to convert paper-based passports into digital formats to support interoperability. This aligns with the principles set out in NHS England’s guidance.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people with learning disabilities do not remain in hospital beds when there is no medical need for them to do so.

Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out to tackle health inequalities and offer people more holistic, on-going support in the community. It is important that people are discharged promptly from hospital with the right support, both for their outcomes, and to free up beds for other patients.The Department is working to ensure that patients, including people with a learning disability, can leave hospital promptly by strengthening access to appropriate community-based services. Local systems, supported through the £9 billion Better Care Fund, are required to plan jointly for integrated health and social care that supports individuals to live independently. This includes commissioning supported living arrangements, residential care where needed, and tailored packages of domiciliary care. For 2025/26, National Health Service trusts have been asked to focus on eliminating discharge delays of more than 48 hours caused by issues within acute hospitals, and to work with local authorities on eliminate the longest delays, starting with those of over 21 days. NHS Operational Planning Guidance also sets an objective to deliver a minimum 10% reduction in the use of mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people in 2025/26. The NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework maintains this focus, with an ambition for a 10% year-on-year reduction up to 2028/29.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reinstating the annual health check target of 75% for people with learning disabilities.

The Department and NHS England have not undertaken a specific assessment of reinstating the 75% annual health check target for people with a learning disability. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, wrote to general practitioners (GPs) in October 2025 emphasising the importance of the learning disability register and providing high quality annual health checks. These checks are the first line of defence for people with a learning disability, many of whom live with additional health needs, including long-term conditions. Strong support from GPs to maintain learning disability annual health checks has enabled more people than ever before to receive a health check and health action plan, an increase of more than 20% since 2020. As of March 2025, 81.5% of eligible people on the GP learning disability register received an annual health check, surpassing the previous 75% National Health Service target.

What steps his Department is taking to regulate health advice on AI overviews on internet browsers.

NHS England and the Department are taking steps to ensure that health related information is easily available and well-structured to support safe and reliable answers by artificial intelligence (AI), including AI overviews in internet browsers. The NHS.UK website and information provided through the NHS App on different health conditions is clinically assured and we are working with different technology providers to encourage the use of verified and trusted health information to train their AI models to provide content to citizens.Where AI tools meet the definition of a medical device, they fall under the regulation of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). General‑purpose AI systems that do not qualify as medical devices, such as AI‑generated summaries within search engines, may fall within the scope of the Online Safety Act. Services covered by the act must protect users from illegal and harmful content, including misleading health information. The Government has asked Ofcom to use its existing powers to safeguard users and will consider further action if needed.

How many and what proportion of people admitted to hospital in (a) England and (b) Surrey were aged between (i) 30- 39 and (ii) 40 and 49, (iii) 50 and 59 in the past year.

NHS England does not publish hospital admissions broken down by age. Instead, it publishes numbers of ‘Finished Consultant Episodes’ (FCEs) which means a completed hospital treatment session under a consultant. This data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2024-25NHS England publishes data by financial year, meaning the most recent available dataset relates to 2024/25. The following table shows the number and proportion of FCEs by age for patients aged 30 to 39 years old, 40 to 49 years old, and 50 to 59 years old in England in 2024/25:AgeFCEsPercentage of total FCEs30 to 392,224,5319.9%40 to 491,823,6608.1%50 to 592,609,20711.6% The information is collected at integrated care board (ICB) level, not by county. In addition, the following table shows the number and proportion of FCEs by age for patients aged 30 to 39 years old, 40 to 49 years old, and 50 to 59 years old in the NHS Frimley ICB and the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB, both of which are within Surrey, in 2024/25: NHS Frimley ICBNHS Surrey Heartlands ICBAgeFCEsPercentage of total FCEsFCEsPercentage of total FCEs30 to 3924,03010.3%39,66510.0%40 to 4919,5858.4%32,7158.3%50 to 5926,76511.5%44,30511.2%

If he will set a definition of corridor care.

The provision of clinical care in corridors is unacceptable, and we are committed to ending its practice in the National Health Service. Furthermore, our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 commits to publishing data on the prevalence of corridor care for the first time.A definition of corridor care is being agreed and will be published once finalised. NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of corridor care to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.

What steps his Department is taking to regulate food preservatives associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer.

All food additives used in the United Kingdom, including preservatives, are subject to rigorous safety assessments before they are authorised for use. These assessments consider the intended purpose, the types of foods they may be added to, and maximum permitted levels to ensure consumer safety.The permitted levels are established in line with the latest scientific evidence to protect health, and there is no conclusive evidence that approved preservatives, when used within these limits, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes or cancer.The Food Standards Agency is responsible for food safety in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and regularly reviews emerging evidence, taking action if new risks are identified.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of pharmaceutical prices on clinical outcomes.

The National Health Service has a finite budget, and it is vital that it is allocated in a way that maximises benefits for all patients. The prices that companies charge for their medicines are an important consideration in determining whether they should be routinely funded by the NHS. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations for the NHS on whether new medicines should be routinely funded based on an assessment of their costs, including the price that the company sets, and the clinical benefits that they bring to patients. In developing its recommendations, NICE evaluates medicines against a threshold that is used in determining whether a specified product is a clinically and a cost-effective use of the health budget compared to other potential uses of that budget.The recently announced increase to the cost-effectiveness threshold will, alongside measures announced in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, increase both the speed and breadth of patient access to innovative medicines and encourage growth in United Kingdom based clinical trials.

With reference to NHS England's 2023/34 Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance, updated on 27 January 2024, what steps he is taking to ensure ICBs increase (a) direct access and (b) self -referral to audiology services.

As part of our effort to shift care from hospital to home, the Government wants to support people to live independently in the community. We pledged in the 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, that through the NHS App, patients will be able to book appointments, communicate with professionals, receive advice, draft or view their care plan, and self-refer to local tests and services.The current availability of self-referral and direct access to audiology services depends on local commissioning arrangements and service protocols, including integrated care board (ICB) commissioning. Currently, self-referral to audiology services is usually for those with age related hearing loss.NHS England is working with ICBs to support greater standardisation of self-referral arrangements, to assess opportunities to bring more of the self-referral process into the NHS App and website in future, where appropriate.

What steps he is taking to expand access to community-based NHS hearing health services.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population, and this includes community-based hearing services.The Medium-Term Planning Framework sets a clear target for systems to work to in order to reduce long waits for community health services, and this includes community audiology services. By 2028/29, at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks. In addition, Standardising Community Health Services sets out an overview of core community health services that ICBs should consider when planning for their local populations to support improved commissioning and delivery of community health services, including community-based hearing services.

If his Department will release national messaging for patients on the difference between routine and urgent core-hours requirements for GPs.

As part of the 2025/26 GP Contract, NHS England published You and Your General Practice (YYGP) guidance. YYGP has been developed to help patients understand what to expect from their general practice (GP) and how they can get the best from their GP team. The guidance is based on the contractual requirements that all contractors providing essential GP services must meet and is intended to make patients more informed and to increase practice accountability to patients, with the aim of improving services and patient engagement.GPs are required to provide a link on their website to the NHS England YYGP document, which can also be found here on the NHS England website at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/you-and-your-general-practice/The guidance will remain under review and will continue to be updated to reflect changes made to GP contracts.Anyone who requires treatment that a GP or healthcare professional regards as an emergency, or as immediately necessary, should be provided that treatment free of charge, regardless of whether they are registered with a GP.There is no set list on what treatment a GP should provide in an emergency, as it is up to the GP’s clinical judgement to decide the correct treatment at the time.

What steps his Department is taking to support suppliers with extended GP online consultation hours.

General practices (GPs) have been required to offer and promote an online consultation tool to their registered patients since 2021. The change introduced in October 2025 regarding online access explicitly requires that all modes of contacting the practice are available at least during core hours, from 08:00 to 18:30. This means parity for walk-in, phone, and online access. This requirement builds on policies that have been in place for several years to encourage the shift to modern GPs.To support suppliers, NHS England sets clear functionality and accessibility standards for digital tools used in primary care. These standards enable suppliers to develop consistent and high-quality digital solutions, including online consultation tools.The recent online access requirement mainly impacts practices rather than suppliers, as it focuses on ensuring existing online consultation tools remain available during core hours rather than introducing new tools. NHS England provided extensive support to practices in the lead up to the introduction of these requirements and continues to do so. This includes reaching out to any practices that are struggling to help them to prepare, including providing guidance, webinars, case studies, and bringing in GPs and practice staff who are experts in service redesign and improvement in GP services.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of commissioning a national framework mandating ICBs to commission NHS community audiology services on a self-referral basis that include wax removal.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes the arrangement of services for ear wax removal.The current availability of self-referral and direct access to audiology services depends on local commissioning arrangements and service protocols, including ICB commissioning. Currently, self-referral to audiology services is usually for those with age related hearing loss.NHS England is working with ICBs to support greater standardisation of self-referral arrangements and to assess opportunities to bring more of the self-referral process into the NHS App and website in future where appropriate.

If he will provide an update on the renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy and confirm if there will be an opportunity for organisations to contribute to the updated strategy.

Publishing a renewed Women’s Health Strategy next year will ensure the momentum from our recent achievements continues and is fully aligned with the 10-Year Health Plan. We will identify and remove enduring barriers to high-quality care, such as decreasing wait times for diagnosis and ensuring professionals listen to women and respond to their needs.We are currently engaging with external partners to inform the renewal of the strategy, bringing together voices from across Government, NHS England, public health, mental health, women’s health advocacy, and employment policy alongside women with lived experience of women’s health conditions.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of creating a permanent and protected ICB role for the appointed Women’s Health Champion in every Integrated Care System.

Integrated care boards are responsible for the planning, commissioning, and delivery of women’s health services, including oversight of the dedicated Women’s Health Champion role.The network of women’s health champions brings together senior leaders in women’s health from integrated care systems and local authorities to share best practice to improve women’s health outcomes across the life course and reduce health inequalities. The role is a voluntary commitment, and the Government has no plans to change this.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of embedding routine and cross-system commissioning and provision of post-pregnancy contraception in post-partum care.

No assessment has been made. The renewed Women’s Health 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 contraception access are being fully considered as part of the renewal.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the discharge process for patients in Surrey who are medically fit to leave hospital.

The Urgent and Emergency Care plan for 2025/26 identifies reducing delays in hospital discharge as a key priority. Further information on the Urgent and Emergency Care plan for 2025/26 is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/Hospitals are expected to eliminate discharge delays of more than 48 hours caused by in-hospital issues, to work with local authorities to tackle the longest delays, starting with those over 21 days, and to profile discharges by pathway to support local planning. In addition to this, we published a new policy framework on 30 January 2025 for the £9 billion Better Care Fund policy framework 2025 to 2026, which requires the National Health Service and local authorities to jointly agree local goals for reducing discharge delays. Further information on the Better Care Fund policy framework 2025 to 2026 is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/better-care-fund-policy-framework-2025-to-2026We are working with trusts, integrated care systems, and local authorities to share and embed best practice and to help them to use performance data more effectively to address their discharge delays. The Local Government Association has published a range of guidance documents and high impact change models to support improvements to hospital flow and discharge processes, which can be found at the following link:https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/partners-care-and-health/better-care-fund-support-programme-2025-26Officials held a call on 18 July 2025 with the Epsom and St. Helier Trust regarding the trust’s discharge challenges and proposed actions to improve the situation.