Written questions by Wrigley.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of adult social care capacity on delivering the 10-year health plan.

A fairly paid adult social care workforce with the right training, qualifications, and values will be able to provide high quality tailored care and support to those who need it and will support the priorities that we set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, namely shifting care from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from treating sickness to promoting prevention.The 10-Year Health Plan sets out how the Government’s aims to shift towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and wrap around people’s lives to help people stay independent for longer. This speaks to the heart of what adult social care, done well, already is. More integrated working between the National Health Service, adult social care, local government, and civil society will be crucial to the delivery of neighbourhood health.The Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and improve the recruitment and retention of the workforce. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028 to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce, backed by £500 million of new investment.

What the top risks are to delivering the Neighbourhood Health Framework; and how those risks are mitigated in areas with ageing hospital infrastructure such as Torbay.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework is designed to empower local leaders to develop and scale neighbourhood health. Risks to delivery include workforce capacity and capability, the need for effective collaboration across local partners, and the ability to align neighbourhood health models with existing estate and infrastructure.These risks are mitigated through a locally led and deliberately non-prescriptive approach. The framework sets national minimum aims and objectives but enables systems to build on what already works locally and prioritise activity according to population need and local context.We are committed to addressing the risks posed by poor quality infrastructure and ensuring facilities, like Torbay Hospital, remain safe, comfortable, and capable of delivering the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for National Health Service care. As a first step towards this, Torbay Hospital received over £9.7 million from the Estates Safety Fund in 2025/26 for vital works. The Estates Safety Fund will continue over the next nine years with a total of £6.75 billion of investment to carry on addressing the poor quality of the estate. The regional teams are currently prioritising the funding between hospital sites across the South West, including allocations for this financial year, and will be considering the needs of Torbay Hospital as part of this process.

What steps his Department is taking to help support residents that cannot access routine NHS dental care prior to full implementation of dentistry contract reform.

The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, integrated care boards have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. 1.8 million additional courses of National Health Service dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to the general election.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament.  As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

Which professional bodies, patient organisations, Integrated Care Boards and dental workforce representatives are being consulted on NHS dental contract reform.

In Summer 2025, we held a public consultation on a package of proposals of changes to the current National Health Service contract, to address some of the pressing issues that dentists and dental teams are experiencing. The Government response has been published and received a total of 2,289 completed responses. Of these responses, 60% were from individuals sharing their personal views and experiences, 33% were from individuals sharing their professional views, and 7% were from individuals providing a response on behalf of an organisation. The reforms will be implemented from April 2026 onwards.The Government is committed to more fundamental contract reform by the end of this Parliament. This will include a public consultation on the future proposals. As well as working towards a full public consultation, we are continuing to engage with the sector regularly, including the British Dental Association and other representatives, on these reforms to scope potential changes. While we do not publish information on official level meetings, details of ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website.

If he will meet with the hon. Member for Newton Abbot and patients from Newton Abbot that cannot access NHS dental care.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population. For the Newton Abott constituency, this is the One Devon ICB.The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, ICBs have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. 1.8 million additional courses of NHS dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to the general election. We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reformsIf the hon. Member were to formally request a meeting in writing, I would be happy to consider his request.

How his Department plans to measure the potential impact of NHS dental contract reforms on improving access to dentistry in rural and coastal communities.

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural and coastal areas. From April 2026, we will be implementing reforms to the current National Health Service dental contract to improve access for patients with urgent and complex needs. A full impact assessment on the reforms has been published and is available at the following link: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/42 The Department will monitor the impact of the reforms post-implementation, including through the monitoring of annually published statistics. We are committed to delivering further, fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament.

What estimate he has made of when NHS dental contract would increase the availability of NHS dental appointments in areas currently experiencing limited access.

Over the past year, integrated care boards have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. 1.8 million additional courses of National Health Service dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to the general election. We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. And from April 2026, we will be implementing reforms to the current NHS dental contract which are expected to improve access for patients with urgent and complex needs. A full impact assessment on the reforms has been published and is available at the following link: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/42

When the new dementia framework will be published.

The first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care. The commission is underway and phase one will report this year.We intend to engage with a range of partners over the coming months to enable us to build a framework which is both ambitious and practical, to ensure we can improve system performance for people with dementia both now and in the future. We are working to develop the content as soon as possible and we will keep partners updated on progress and timings as this work unfolds.

Whether any Freedom of Information requests seeking briefings, minutes and internal reports concerning Palantir Technologies have been refused since 2023.

Since January 2023, the Department has received and answered 17 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests seeking briefings, minutes, and internal reports concerning Palantir. The FOI Act provides several exemptions that allow public bodies to withhold information in particular circumstances. Exemptions exist to protect information that should not be disclosed, for example because disclosing it would be harmful to another person or it would be against the public interest.Of these requests, where information was withheld in part, this was almost exclusively because it constituted personal or contact information. In one case some information was withheld as it related to policy formulation. Information released included briefings and minutes of meetings. Those requests that were refused in full were due to cost or because the request required clarification.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 84973 on Car-Hill formula, when he plans to publish the conclusions of that review.

The review of the Carr-Hill formula has been commissioned through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and commenced in October 2025. The first phase of the review is expected to conclude in March 2026. Subject to ministerial decision, further work would subsequently be undertaken to technically develop and model any proposed changes to the formula.The review will be published in due course by the NIHR. Members of Parliament will also be updated once the review findings are available.

What support is being provided to (a) Torbay and (b) Exeter NHS Trusts to recruit and retain specialist cancer nurses and the cancer workforce.

NHS England has made good progress in growing and developing the cancer and diagnostics workforce.In 2024/25, approximately 8,000 people received training to either enter the cancer and diagnostics workforce or develop in their roles. As part of this, over 1,600 people were on apprenticeship courses, with over 270 additional medical specialty training places funded. Over 1,000 clinical nurse specialist (CNS) grants were made available to new and aspiring CNSs across England, including Devon.We are working to end the postcode lottery for cancer services. NHS England is working with NHS regions and the royal colleges to increase the number of clinical and medical oncology staff overall. In addition, we aim to fill vacancies and expand workforces in trusts that most need more staff, including in rural and coastal areas, to help boost performance.

Whether his Department plans to retain the GP partnership model.

We remain committed to the general practice (GP) partnership model and recognise its many strengths, including efficiency, innovation, and continuity of care. GP partnerships deliver high-quality care to patients all over the country. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, where the GP partnership model is working well, it should continue.We also recognise that increasingly fewer GPs are going into partnership, and that the partnership model is not the only model currently delivering GPs. GPs can and do choose to organise themselves in different ways, many of which cite evidence of good outcomes in terms of staff engagement and patient experience.Alongside the partnership model, the 10-Year Health Plan commits to introducing two new contracts enabling GPs to work over larger geographies, with the aim of supporting the neighbourhood health model, providing resilience and allowing economies of scale, thereby securing the sustainability of GPs into the future.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the GP partnership model on delivering continuity of care.

We recognise that the general practice (GP) partnership model has many strengths, including its role in supporting continuity of care. GP partnerships often have deep local knowledge and long-standing relationships with their registered patient populations, which can strengthen relational continuity. The GP Partnership Review from 2019 found that the stability of the partnership model supports and enables continuity of care.The Government values continuity of care in GPs, which is associated with better health outcomes and fewer accident and emergency attendances. That is why we have committed to bringing back the family doctor.We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in GPs, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, the biggest cash increase in over a decade. This investment will help build capacity in GPs, improving both continuity of care and access for patients.

Whether NHS organisations are expected to justify deviations from NHS England planning guidance where such guidance is non-mandatory.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework sets national delivery targets for integrated care boards (ICBs) and providers over multiple years. It sets performance expectations, based on nationally determined policies and budgets, and outlines enabling activities which will help ICBs and providers to deliver against said expectations.Whilst the Medium-Term Planning Framework does not impose requirements as in legislation or the Government mandate, ‘must’ and ‘expected to’ language is used for priority targets and where a nationally consistent approach would be beneficial, for example to reduce unwarranted variation or to ensure that specific Government commitments are met. The word ‘should’ is used in cases where local flexibility is appropriate based on local determination, demographics, and/or prioritisation.No internal guidance is issued to staff within NHS England specifically on the use of language within the Medium Term Planning Framework, but the text is checked to ensure consistency with the aforementioned principles. A suite of supporting materials, including technical guidance, webinars, and planning standards, are developed and shared across NHS England regions and the wider National Health Service system to support a clear understanding of the expectations and potential approaches to delivery set out in the Medium-Term Planning Framework.The regionally led assurance process for planning returns allows NHS England to work with ICBs and providers to understand variance from the asks within the Medium-Term Planning Framework, where warranted.

Whether NHS England distinguishes between the terms must, should, and are expected to in national planning guidance.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework sets national delivery targets for integrated care boards (ICBs) and providers over multiple years. It sets performance expectations, based on nationally determined policies and budgets, and outlines enabling activities which will help ICBs and providers to deliver against said expectations.Whilst the Medium-Term Planning Framework does not impose requirements as in legislation or the Government mandate, ‘must’ and ‘expected to’ language is used for priority targets and where a nationally consistent approach would be beneficial, for example to reduce unwarranted variation or to ensure that specific Government commitments are met. The word ‘should’ is used in cases where local flexibility is appropriate based on local determination, demographics, and/or prioritisation.No internal guidance is issued to staff within NHS England specifically on the use of language within the Medium Term Planning Framework, but the text is checked to ensure consistency with the aforementioned principles. A suite of supporting materials, including technical guidance, webinars, and planning standards, are developed and shared across NHS England regions and the wider National Health Service system to support a clear understanding of the expectations and potential approaches to delivery set out in the Medium-Term Planning Framework.The regionally led assurance process for planning returns allows NHS England to work with ICBs and providers to understand variance from the asks within the Medium-Term Planning Framework, where warranted.

What steps his Department is taking to improve workplace catering and break facilities for healthcare workers.

Good physical working environments are important for staff wellbeing and retention. Staff need to be given the time and space to rest and recover from their work, particularly when working on-call or overnight. This is recognised as a priority in the NHS People Promise which sets out the importance of employers prioritising spaces for staff to rest and recuperate, and ensuring access to hot food and drinks.In May 2024, NHS England and NHS Charities Together launched a £10 million Workforce Wellbeing Programme to support National Health Service staff in England. It will provide tailored health and wellbeing support to NHS staff, including grants to improve facilities. A three-year programme of work named Great Food, Good Health, led by NHS England, aims to improve the experience and quality of nutritious food that patients, staff, and visitors receive in hospital. As part of this, NHS England has made clear that NHS organisations must be able to demonstrate they have suitable 24/7 food service provision.

What steps his Department is taking to establish Staff Treatment Hubs.

Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatments hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, timeframes, and capacity.The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources including NHS England’s internal Staff Treatment Access Review. This demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.

Whether NHS England issues internal guidance to staff on the use of language in planning documents to avoid ambiguity about whether requirements are mandatory.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework sets national delivery targets for integrated care boards (ICBs) and providers over multiple years. It sets performance expectations, based on nationally determined policies and budgets, and outlines enabling activities which will help ICBs and providers to deliver against said expectations.Whilst the Medium-Term Planning Framework does not impose requirements as in legislation or the Government mandate, ‘must’ and ‘expected to’ language is used for priority targets and where a nationally consistent approach would be beneficial, for example to reduce unwarranted variation or to ensure that specific Government commitments are met. The word ‘should’ is used in cases where local flexibility is appropriate based on local determination, demographics, and/or prioritisation.No internal guidance is issued to staff within NHS England specifically on the use of language within the Medium Term Planning Framework, but the text is checked to ensure consistency with the aforementioned principles. A suite of supporting materials, including technical guidance, webinars, and planning standards, are developed and shared across NHS England regions and the wider National Health Service system to support a clear understanding of the expectations and potential approaches to delivery set out in the Medium-Term Planning Framework.The regionally led assurance process for planning returns allows NHS England to work with ICBs and providers to understand variance from the asks within the Medium-Term Planning Framework, where warranted.

Whether NHS England has sought legal advice on whether the effective mandating of the Federated Data Platform requires a new competitive procurement or a contract modification notice.

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) has not been formally mandated. Its role is, however, reinforced in the Medium Term Planning Framework 2026/27 to 2028/29, which can be found at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29.pdf This framework sets the expectation that all providers and integrated care boards (ICBs) will onboard to the NHS FDP and begin using its core products, data capabilities, and population health management tools by 2028/29. The guidance highlights the importance of ensuring that providers across acute, community, and mental health sectors use the NHS FDP to support elective recovery, cancer, and urgent and emergency care. The NHS FDP was procured on the basis that every National Health Service trust and ICB would have a tenant within the platform. The existing contract supports use by community and mental health organisations as well as by acute providers. As such, a new competitive procurement or a contract modification notice is not required.

If he will take steps to ensure that the Levy review does not reduce access to (a) hormonal therapy and (b) surgery for trans and non-binary 18-25 year olds.

NHS England is currently carrying out a review of adult gender services. The review, chaired by Dr David Levy, has examined the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and has carefully considered experiences, feedback and outcomes from clinicians and patients. The review has been conducted in line with the publicly available terms of reference and key lines of enquiry. The Government will carefully consider the findings of the review.