Every parliamentary written question tabled by Peter Prinsley this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 78 · Department of Health and Social Care
Pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2026 to Question 11285, and with reference to the report entitled UK National Screening Committee, Screening for prostate cancer, whether his Department is taking steps to estimate the cost of identifying new BRCA2 variant carriers.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of using the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme to improve the earlier diagnosis of chronic respiratory diseases, including COPD.
Awaiting answer.
What steps he is taking to improve health outcomes for people living with COPD.
Awaiting answer.
What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the Trauma and Orthopaedic waiting lists are improved in line with elective reform targets.
Awaiting answer.
What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people with arthritis are signposted to holistic support at the point of diagnosis.
Awaiting answer.
What steps his Department is taking to help address variation in remission rates for inflammatory arthritis.
Awaiting answer.
What estimate he has made of the number of additional men expected to be eligible for prostate cancer screening each year under the UK National Screening Committee’s recommended criteria, when taki
Awaiting answer.
When he expects the Department’s analysis of the costs associated with identifying additional BRCA variant carriers to be completed.
Awaiting answer.
What research has his Department undertaken to understand the clinical and cost effectiveness of bilateral cochlear implantation.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that produces evidence-based guidance for the health and care system. NICE develops its recommendations with clinical and technical experts, drawing on a thorough assessm...
What steps has his Department taken to help ensure that ICBs have policies in place to ensure that patients get access to cochlear implants in line with revisions made to NICE guidance in March 201
The Department does not hold data on the number of children and adults who were fitted with unilateral and bilateral cochlear implants in each of the last eight years.Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the reasonable...
What data does his Department hold on the number of (a) children and (b) adults who were fitted with (i) unilateral and (ii) bilateral cochlear implants in each of the last eight years for which fi
The Department does not hold data on the number of children and adults who were fitted with unilateral and bilateral cochlear implants in each of the last eight years.Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the reasonable...
When he plans to introduce self/preferential e-rostering for doctors.
We want to move the National Health Service toward a culture where flexible working opportunities are much more widely available, and where employees feel supported to discuss their working patterns and options with their line manager.Our 10 Year Workforc...
What assessment he has made of how the National Cancer Plan will improve outcomes across all rare and less common cancers, in particular asbestos-related mesothelioma; whether he plans to engage wi
The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February, sets out several actions and commitments on rare cancers, including mesothelioma, to be delivered within the next ten years.These include appointing a national lead for rare cancers, prioritising access t...
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the removal of Training Interface Group (TIG) fellowships on the provision of specialist cleft surgery training; and what steps he is taking to help ensure the continued development of cross-specialty expertise across ENT, maxillofacial and plastic surgery.
NHS England made the decision in 2025 to discontinue central funding of the salary support component of the Training Interface Group programme, and to target financial resources more effectively to address regional workforce priorities. Regions or provider organisations that wish to continue developing these skills are still able to recruit, fund, and train staff using the curriculum set by the Joint Committee on Surgical Training. NHS England is also working to understand where they can enhance and support smaller, highly specialised areas of practice. NHS England has initiated a plan, working with clinical subject matter experts, to define the demand and future supply needed for the training of cleft lip and palate surgeons and to shape the future training and workforce investment needed in this area.
What steps his Department is taking to recognise clinical academic training undertaken during specialty training by doctors in England towards consultant salary seniority.
Clinical academic training undertaken during medical specialty training does not currently count towards consultant salary seniority. However, salary seniority may be negotiated locally at the start of a consultant post. Universities have separate pay scales for clinical academics which would take academic experience into account.Clinical academic trainees can have academic time counted towards their Certificate of Completion of Training. Trainees undertaking a higher academic qualification, such as a PhD, during their training may qualify for an academic pay premium. This is a taxable, non-pensionable allowance for trainees in England who have completed an approved higher degree and returned to clinical training. It is paid annually until the completion of clinical training and is aimed at incentivising academic careers.
Whether he plans to introduce a policy similar to those in NHS Scotland and NHS Wales to support the regrading of specialty doctors to the specialist grade where appropriate.
While there are no specific plans to introduce a separate regrading policy similar to those in Scotland or Wales at this time, we are considering how best to support appropriate career progression for specialty doctors in England, including through ongoing conversations with the British Medical Association.The specialist grade was introduced in England in 2021 as part of reforms to improve career progression opportunities for Specialty, Associate Specialist, and Specialist (SAS) doctors. Employers are able to create specialist posts where there is a service need, and individuals, including speciality doctors, should be able to apply for these roles through open, competitive recruitment.As set out in the National Health Service 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is committed to supporting the continued expansion of the specialist grade where appropriate, to ensure SAS doctors have clear and fair pathways for progression.
What guidance his Department issues to local authorities to on conducting consultations with recognised care provider associations when setting adult social care fee rates.
The Care Act 2014 places a statutory duty on local authorities, under Section 5, to promote a sustainable and high-quality adult social care market. This includes ensuring that care providers can operate effectively and that fee structures support the delivery of high-quality services. While the Care Act does not prescribe specific methods of engagement, such as recognised provider associations, it sets the overarching requirement for local authorities to understand local market conditions and the costs of care. In practice, this means local authorities are expected to draw on appropriate evidence, which may include information from providers, when setting fees.On 18 December 2025, the Department published its new annual local authority priority-setting document. This sets out a list of priority outcomes and expectations for local authorities in 2026/27, and one of these is for local authorities to “set fee rates at a sustainable level, in line with commissioning priorities, to help shape markets and enable adult social care providers to recruit a skilled workforce and stabilise and improvement workforce capacity, and in preparation for employment rights reforms, starting from financial year 2026 and the fair pair agreement starting in financial year 2028”.
What implementation metrics have been set for the introduction of Staff Treatment Hubs under the 10 Year Plan, including the number of hubs operational by the end of 2026, the regional coverage targets in England and Wales, and the specific performance measures used to evaluate improvements in clinician wellbeing.
The 10-Year Health Plan committed to the roll out of Staff Treatment Hubs, to provide a high-quality wellbeing and occupational health service for all National Health Service staff. Work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the Staff Treatments Hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, timeframes, capacity, and processes for monitoring progress and performance.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of plans to reform the immigration settlement system on the number of anaesthetists working in the health service.
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of plans to reform the immigration settlement system on the number of anaesthetists working in the health service.The Government has launched a consultation on proposals to reform the current settlement rules in favour of an “earned settlement” model, that considers factors such as contribution, integration, and conduct. The consultation, which runs until February 2026, seeks views on how these reforms should apply to different groups, including health and care workers.
Whether the Government holds data on the average resident doctor study budget in England compared with that available in (a) Scotland and (b) Wales.
For the 2025/26 financial year, the total study budget allocated for doctors and dentists in postgraduate training in England is £54.5 million. The levels of spend by individual trainees are not collected centrally.We do not hold comparable data for Scotland and Wales.