Written questions by Hayes.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposals to create a subsidiary company by NHS trusts in Dorset on (a) jobs and (b) existing terms and conditions.

Contract award decisions in the National Health Service fall directly to individual NHS bodies, who are responsible for running their own procurement exercises. Ministers at the Department do not have general powers in legislation to direct trusts in relation to the exercise of any of their functions, including in relation to specific contractual decisions. The NHS has established governance processes, in line with Government procurement policy and best practice, to ensure that appropriate contractual decisions are made that represent value for money.The three NHS Dorset foundation trusts have undertaken two months of engagement concerning proposals to establish a wholly owned subsidiary company to deliver estates and facilities management services. Relevant papers concerning the proposal were placed in the public domain in June 2025 for board meetings held in that month. Under the proposals, the trusts have advised NHS England that there will be no job reductions, and that transferred staff will keep their pay and terms and conditions exactly aligned with the NHS. This covers both current and new staff. NHS England will review the level of assurance around the trust boards’ self-certification as to their readiness to proceed to the next formal consultation stage, which will involve staff and unions.The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations allow for terms and conditions of service to be protected or frozen as they stand on the date of transfer to a new employer, like a wholly owned subsidiary. NHS trust wholly owned subsidiaries can apply for access to the NHS Pension Scheme for compulsorily transferring staff, and new starters.The Government expects that any outsourced services are delivered by trusts in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money, as part of the broader commitments on procurement, as set out in the Make Work Pay programme, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/make-work-payNHS staff continue to work incredibly hard on delivering the best possible care for patients, and wherever they work across the health service, we expect the highest standards and good terms and conditions.

Whether he has had discussions with UNISON in relation to proposals by NHS Trusts in Dorset to create a subsidiary company.

Contract award decisions in the National Health Service fall directly to individual NHS bodies, who are responsible for running their own procurement exercises. Ministers at the Department do not have general powers in legislation to direct trusts in relation to the exercise of any of their functions, including in relation to specific contractual decisions. The NHS has established governance processes, in line with Government procurement policy and best practice, to ensure that appropriate contractual decisions are made that represent value for money.The three NHS Dorset foundation trusts have undertaken two months of engagement concerning proposals to establish a wholly owned subsidiary company to deliver estates and facilities management services. Relevant papers concerning the proposal were placed in the public domain in June 2025 for board meetings held in that month. Under the proposals, the trusts have advised NHS England that there will be no job reductions, and that transferred staff will keep their pay and terms and conditions exactly aligned with the NHS. This covers both current and new staff. NHS England will review the level of assurance around the trust boards’ self-certification as to their readiness to proceed to the next formal consultation stage, which will involve staff and unions.The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations allow for terms and conditions of service to be protected or frozen as they stand on the date of transfer to a new employer, like a wholly owned subsidiary. NHS trust wholly owned subsidiaries can apply for access to the NHS Pension Scheme for compulsorily transferring staff, and new starters.The Government expects that any outsourced services are delivered by trusts in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money, as part of the broader commitments on procurement, as set out in the Make Work Pay programme, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/make-work-payNHS staff continue to work incredibly hard on delivering the best possible care for patients, and wherever they work across the health service, we expect the highest standards and good terms and conditions.

What discussions he has had with (a) Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, (b) University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust and (c) Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust on their proposals to create a subsidiary company.

Contract award decisions in the National Health Service fall directly to individual NHS bodies, who are responsible for running their own procurement exercises. Ministers at the Department do not have general powers in legislation to direct trusts in relation to the exercise of any of their functions, including in relation to specific contractual decisions. The NHS has established governance processes, in line with Government procurement policy and best practice, to ensure that appropriate contractual decisions are made that represent value for money.The three NHS Dorset foundation trusts have undertaken two months of engagement concerning proposals to establish a wholly owned subsidiary company to deliver estates and facilities management services. Relevant papers concerning the proposal were placed in the public domain in June 2025 for board meetings held in that month. Under the proposals, the trusts have advised NHS England that there will be no job reductions, and that transferred staff will keep their pay and terms and conditions exactly aligned with the NHS. This covers both current and new staff. NHS England will review the level of assurance around the trust boards’ self-certification as to their readiness to proceed to the next formal consultation stage, which will involve staff and unions.The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations allow for terms and conditions of service to be protected or frozen as they stand on the date of transfer to a new employer, like a wholly owned subsidiary. NHS trust wholly owned subsidiaries can apply for access to the NHS Pension Scheme for compulsorily transferring staff, and new starters.The Government expects that any outsourced services are delivered by trusts in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money, as part of the broader commitments on procurement, as set out in the Make Work Pay programme, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/make-work-payNHS staff continue to work incredibly hard on delivering the best possible care for patients, and wherever they work across the health service, we expect the highest standards and good terms and conditions.

Whether he is taking steps to retain (a) job numbers and (b) existing terms and conditions when NHS trusts create subsidiary companies.

Contract award decisions in the National Health Service fall directly to individual NHS bodies, who are responsible for running their own procurement exercises. Ministers at the Department do not have general powers in legislation to direct trusts in relation to the exercise of any of their functions, including in relation to specific contractual decisions. The NHS has established governance processes, in line with Government procurement policy and best practice, to ensure that appropriate contractual decisions are made that represent value for money.The three NHS Dorset foundation trusts have undertaken two months of engagement concerning proposals to establish a wholly owned subsidiary company to deliver estates and facilities management services. Relevant papers concerning the proposal were placed in the public domain in June 2025 for board meetings held in that month. Under the proposals, the trusts have advised NHS England that there will be no job reductions, and that transferred staff will keep their pay and terms and conditions exactly aligned with the NHS. This covers both current and new staff. NHS England will review the level of assurance around the trust boards’ self-certification as to their readiness to proceed to the next formal consultation stage, which will involve staff and unions.The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations allow for terms and conditions of service to be protected or frozen as they stand on the date of transfer to a new employer, like a wholly owned subsidiary. NHS trust wholly owned subsidiaries can apply for access to the NHS Pension Scheme for compulsorily transferring staff, and new starters.The Government expects that any outsourced services are delivered by trusts in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money, as part of the broader commitments on procurement, as set out in the Make Work Pay programme, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/make-work-payNHS staff continue to work incredibly hard on delivering the best possible care for patients, and wherever they work across the health service, we expect the highest standards and good terms and conditions.

What steps the NHS is taking to help ensure that Dorset Police are able to refer convicted stalkers for mental health interventions.

NHS Liaison and Diversion services in Dorset work closely with the police and other parts of the criminal justice system to identify people who have mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, or other issues when they first come into contact with the criminal justice system as suspects, defendants, or convicted offenders. The aim is to improve overall health outcomes and to reduce re-offending through early identification of possible need, putting in place the right support from the start, including mental health support, and reducing the likelihood that they will reach a crisis point. The service can then support them through the criminal system pathway, refer them for appropriate health or social care support, or enable them to be diverted away from the criminal justice system, where appropriate.

What discussions he has had with (a) social care providers and (b) local authorities on ensuring (i) choice, (ii) control and (ii) flexibility in the provision of care as enshrined in the Care Act 2014.

We are committed to working in partnership with social care professionals and providers, local authorities, and crucially the people who draw on care and support, to give people more choice and control over their care.Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population. That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people have a choice of appropriate services.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing local authorities' delivery of their adult social care duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. The assessments undertaken by CQC identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, helping us to target support where it is most needed. If CQC identifies a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act to an acceptable standard, my rt. Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has powers to intervene.

When will the allocation of GP funding for 2025-26 be published.

In December 2024 we announced a proposed funding uplift for general practices (GPs) in 2025/26 of £889 million, representing a 7.2% cash growth, estimated to be an approximately 4.8% real terms growth. This is the largest uplift to GP funding since 2019 and means that we are reversing the recent trend, with a rising share of total National Health Service resources going to GPs.We started consulting with the General Practitioners Committee in England, of the British Medical Association, on the 2025/26 GP Contract on 19 December 2024, and will consider all proposed policy changes alongside the funding uplift. The final changes will be announced in the usual way following the close of the consultation in 2025.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent care homes from evicting vulnerable residents.

Local authorities should have appropriate plans in place to minimise any disruption of services if a provider exits the market. They are in the best position to find a local solution, with the minimum possible disruption, that meets people’s needs and cho...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the powers of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on decision making around evictions from care homes.

Local authorities should have appropriate plans in place to minimise any disruption of services if a provider exits the market. They are in the best position to find a local solution, with the minimum possible disruption, that meets people’s needs and cho...

What steps his Department is taking to financially support (a) GP practices and (b) third-sector organisations delivering commissioned services with employer National Insurance contributions from A

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 ...

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of evictions from care homes on vulnerable people in need of care.

Local authorities should have appropriate plans in place to minimise any disruption of services if a provider exits the market. They are in the best position to find a local solution, with the minimum possible disruption, that meets people’s needs and cho...

If his Department will take steps to reallocate funding from acute care to (a) primary care and (b) the third-sector.

In spring, we will publish a 10-Year Health Plan, which will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from hospitals to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. This is a long-ter...

If he will take steps to increase the role of patients in decision making around care home placements.

The Health and Care Act 2022 contains a duty for National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts to involve both patients and carers, including young carers, at the earliest opportunity in discharge planning for adult patients who are likely to need ...

What assessment has he made of the adequacy of the NHS continuing healthcare programme.

The Department works closely with NHS England, which holds integrated care boards accountable and engages with them to discharge their functions, including via regular and well-established assurance mechanisms.The Department also engages with the wider se...

If he will have discussions with nursing organisations on the nurse registration fee requirement under article 9 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The Government has no current plans to amend the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001, to abolish the require...

Whether his Department plans to restore the Government's Sexwise website.

The Department has no plans to restore the Government’s Sexwise website. Extensive sexual and reproductive health information is readily available from other sources, which provide quality up-to-date information for the general public and healthcare profe...

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending article 9 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 to abolish the registration fee requirement.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The Government has no current plans to amend the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001, to abolish the require...

What steps he is taking to improve (a) care and (b) treatment for people with Jordan’s Syndrome.

The government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Jordan’s Syndrome. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include better coord...

What recent progress his Department has made increasing the levels of recruitment of mental heath staff.

The latest data shows that, as of June 2024, there are 152,533 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in the mental health workforce. This includes only those people who work directly on mental health across National Health Service trusts and other core organis...

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle misinformation on (a) migrant access to NHS services and (b) the accommodation of asylum seekers.

I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 17 October 2024 to Question 8361.