Every parliamentary written question tabled by Luke Evans this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 381–400 of 455 · Department of Health and Social Care
Whether he has plans to use external consultants to support the transfer of NHS England responsibilities to his Department.
Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to determine the structure and requirements of the team required to support the creation of a new centre for health and care.
What steps he is taking to increase the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of speech and language therapists.
Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual National Health Service employers. NHS trusts 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.NHS England is leading the National Retention Programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.
With reference to the Written Statement of 3 March 2025 on the Outcome of the 25-26 GP Contract consultation, HCWS486, which 32 targets will his Department remove from GPs.
For the 2025/26 GP Contract year, the 32 Quality and Outcomes Framework indicators that were income-protected for 2024/2025 have been permanently retired. The 32 permanently retired indicators are listed in Annex B at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/changes-to-the-gp-contract-in-2025-26/
Pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 33084 on Pharmacy: Finance, when he plans to publish the independent economic analysis of National Health Service pharmacy funding.
NHS England commissioned Frontier Economics to undertake an independent economic analysis of National Health Service pharmacy funding in 2024. This report was published on 28 March 2025. We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, and this enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26. The Department considered the increases in National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage when consulting on the funding arrangements for community pharmacy. We have now agreed with Community Pharmacy England to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion from April 2025. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This shows a first step in delivering stability for the future, and a commitment to rebuilding the sector.
If she will make an estimate of the cost to community pharmacies of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions from April 2025.
NHS England commissioned Frontier Economics to undertake an independent economic analysis of National Health Service pharmacy funding in 2024. This report was published on 28 March 2025. We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, and this enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26. The Department considered the increases in National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage when consulting on the funding arrangements for community pharmacy. We have now agreed with Community Pharmacy England to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion from April 2025. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This shows a first step in delivering stability for the future, and a commitment to rebuilding the sector.
If he will make an estimate of the cost to community pharmacies of the proposed increase in the National Living Wage from April 2025.
NHS England commissioned Frontier Economics to undertake an independent economic analysis of National Health Service pharmacy funding in 2024. This report was published on 28 March 2025. We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, and this enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26. The Department considered the increases in National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage when consulting on the funding arrangements for community pharmacy. We have now agreed with Community Pharmacy England to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion from April 2025. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This shows a first step in delivering stability for the future, and a commitment to rebuilding the sector.
What steps he is taking to support the retention of GPs.
We are investing an additional £889 million through the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.Under recently announced changes to the GP Contract in 2025/26, the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) will become more flexible to allow primary care networks (PCNs) to respond better to local workforce needs. The two ARRS pots will be combined to create a single pot for reimbursement of patient facing staff costs. There will be no restrictions on the number or type of staff covered, including GPs and practice nurses.In a drive to recruit GPs via the ARRS and to bring back the family doctor, the salary element of the maximum reimbursement amount that PCNs can claim for GPs will be increased from £73,113 in 2024/25, the bottom of the salaried GP pay range, to £82,418, an uplift of £9,305, representing the lower quartile of the salaried GP pay range, as some GPs will be entering their second year in the scheme. Proportionate employer on-costs will also be included within the overall maximum reimbursement amount which PCNs will be able to claim.Our commitment to growing the GP workforce includes addressing the reasons why doctors leave the profession, and encouraging them to return to practice. We know that high workloads can be a key driver for GPs reducing their contracted hours or leaving the profession altogether. That’s why we are tackling morale through drivers such as growing the workforce and reducing bureaucracy through our Red Tape Challenge, to improve job satisfaction and reduce the risk of burnout.
What steps he is taking to improve access to speech and language therapy.
We inherited a broken National Health Service with waiting times across all areas unacceptably high. In his investigation into the NHS in England, Lord Darzi highlighted the crisis in children’s community services with too many children waiting too long for services, including speech and language therapy, impacting their wellbeing, education and life chances. Lord Darzi also made clear we need to need to focus on community services. Too many adults are waiting too long to receive speech and language therapy, negatively impacting their communication or swallowing abilities. Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we will shift healthcare from hospitals to community. This shift to community services, like speech and language therapy, helps to prevent costly and intensive support later. Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we will revisit the Long Term Workforce Plan to ensure we have the right staff delivering the right services in the right place. We continue to improve access to speech and language therapy, including though the Early Language and Support for Every Child (ELSEC) programme, with the Department of Education and NHS England. The ELSEC programme provides training and support to education settings, to increase their ability to support speech, language, and communication development.
With reference to his interview with BBC Radio 5 Live on 28 February 2025, if he will publish the data showing that 900 new GPs have been employed since July 2024.
Data on the number of general practitioners in the workforce is available through the General Practice Workforce series of Official Statistics, at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/general-and-personal-medical-services/31-january-2025Information on the number of recently qualified general practitioners for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme will be published shortly
What estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the abolition of NHS England.
We recognise there may be some short-term upfront costs as we undertake the integration of NHS England and the Department but these costs and more will be recouped in future years because of a smaller and leaner centre. By the end of the process, we estimate that these changes will save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services.
What the cost to the public purse is of the redundancy package for staff being made redundant from NHS England.
We recognise there may be some short-term upfront costs as we undertake the integration of NHS England and the Department but these costs and more will be recouped in future years because of a smaller and leaner centre. By the end of the process, we estimate that these changes will save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services.
If he will publish the dates on which (a) he and (b) the Minister of State for Care has met with (i) Community Pharmacy England and (ii) the National Pharmacy Association since 4 July 2024.
Ministers regularly engage with external stakeholders on a variety of issues, including but not limited to pharmacy. Details of ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website.
What discussions he has had with (a) NHS England, (b) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (c) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the availability of (i) treatment options and (ii) care pathways for patients with myasthenia gravis.
Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as myasthenia gravis. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not specifically discussed myasthenia gravis with NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), or the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).On 7 March 2024, the MHRA approved the medicine rozanolixizumab (Rystiggo) to treat adults with generalised myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness, which can affect multiple muscle groups throughout the body. The MHRA is in active discussion with companies to bring more medications to patients.The NICE is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on the following treatments for generalised myasthenia gravis: rozanolixizumab and zilucoplan for treating antibody positive generalised myasthenia gravis; and efgartigimod for treating generalised myasthenia gravis. Further information on rozanolixizumab, zilucoplan, and efgartigimod is available, respectively, at the following three links:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta10994https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta11096https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta10986In addition, nipocalimab and inebilizumab, for treating generalised myasthenia gravis, have been selected for appraisal by the NICE, with further information on both available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/awaiting-development/gid-ta11492https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/awaiting-development/gid-ta11667Finally, the NHS.UK website page on myasthenia gravis provides an overview of the care pathway, with further information available at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/myasthenia-gravis/
What assessment he has made of the opportunities available to improve diagnosis times for autism spectrum disorder.
It is the responsibility of the integrated care board (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessments and diagnosis, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation, and how they might overcome these.In 2024/25, £4.3 million is available nationally to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services. NHS England is also working with research organisations to explore evidence-based models that support improved outcomes for those people waiting for an autism assessment.As part of the Government’s five long-term missions, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and make it fit for the future. Department officials recently convened a roundtable with autistic people and people with a learning disability to listen to their views on the future of the NHS as part of 10-Year Health Plan.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the statistics, published by Sky News, showing that the Care Quality Commission has inspected 3.6% of the 67,778 concerns it received between October 2022 and 2024 about elderly care homes.
No such assessment has been made. The number of concerns raised with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and highlighted by Sky News, include those which are being handled by another body, for example, a local authority or the police. It may also include duplicates, that is, where a number of concerns have been raised about the same incident.While not all information shared with the CQC would necessarily result in an inspection, it does inform ongoing monitoring and will result in action where there are indications that people are at risk of harm.
How many Remedial Service Statements (a) are required in total (b) have been issued to date (c) are calculated and awaiting fulfilment and (d) still outstanding.
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), the scheme administrator, has identified that 381,920 remedial service statements are required for affected members who have retired. Of these, 21 statements have been issued and 393 have been calculated and are awaiting fulfilment, and 381,506 are outstanding.A revised delivery plan for remedial service statements is currently in production and will be communicated with affected individuals within the coming weeks. The Department recognises the importance of issuing the remedial service statements to members in a timely way and is working with the NHSBSA to increase delivery.
Pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 23858 on NHS Business Services Authority: Workplace Pensions, how many remedial pension savings statements (a) were required in total, (b) had been issued to date, (c) were calculated and awaiting fulfilment and (d) were still outstanding in the latest period for which data is available.
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), the scheme administrator, has identified that 137,694 remedial pension savings statements are required. Of these, 60,630 statements have been calculated and issued, and 1,887 statements have been calculated and are awaiting fulfilment. The 75,177 statements outstanding include statements that require calculations and statements that require re-calculations.The NHSBSA had previously reported a higher number of statements issued due to a batch of remedial pension savings statements being categorised as “issued” when they were still undergoing their quality assurance process. The current figures only consider remedial pension savings statements as “issued” once they have passed the NHSBSA’s quality assurance and have been fulfilled.
Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 23859 on General Practitioners: Recruitment, what his planned timetable is for collecting that data.
Data on numbers of general practitioners (GPs) employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme is not currently published. Information on the number of recently qualified GPs for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme is currently being collated. We are working to verify the data and establish its reliability, which is necessary before any dataset can be published.
When (a) he and (b) the Minister of State for Care last met with Community Pharmacy England.
I last met with Community Pharmacy England on 25 February 2025.
If he will publish the NHS-commissioned independent economic analysis of pharmacy funding before the conclusion of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework contract negotiations.
NHS England commissioned Frontier Economics to undertake an independent economic analysis of National Health Service pharmacy funding in 2024. Both the interim and draft final reports of the economic analysis have been shared with Ministers and Community Pharmacy England and are informing the current consultation.This work is nearing completion and will be published soon.